US president renews calls for unity on 9/11 anniversary

“It's clear for all the world to see — the terrorists who attacked us that September morning are no match for the character of our people, the resilience of our nation, or the endurance of our values,” the president said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address a day ahead of the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

“We're doing everything in our power to protect our people,” he said. “And no matter what comes our way, as a resilient nation, we will carry on.”

Obama, a little-known state senator in Illinois at the time of the attacks, now has the responsibility to help lead the United States in remembrance of a national trauma 10 years on.

He and his wife, Michelle, planned to participate in a service project Saturday afternoon in the Washington area. Then on Sunday, the president is scheduled to visit all three sites where hijacked planes struck 10 years ago — New York City, Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon — before delivering evening remarks at a memorial event at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

His comments in his address Saturday were likely a preview of the message he will deliver Sunday. Obama sought to strike a balance between remembering and moving forward, while also trying to summon the feeling of unity that existed during those dark days after terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans.

“They wanted to deprive us of the unity that defines us as a people. But we will not succumb to division or suspicion,” Obama said. “We are Americans, and we are stronger and safer when we stay true to the values, freedoms and diversity that make us unique among nations.”

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