UNSC Marks 9/11 Anniversary as US Recalls Hunt for Osama bin Laden
The UN Security Council marked 25 years since 9/11 with a new counter-terrorism statement as the US recalled its pursuit of Osama bin Laden.
The UN Security Council marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks with a renewed focus on the global fight against terrorism, as the United States recalled its pursuit of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
At a Security Council briefing on terrorist threats, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the US and its allies had hunted down bin Laden and dismantled the ISIS caliphate. He also referred to the killing of other militant leaders, including Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The 15-member council adopted its first presidential statement on counter-terrorism in five years, reaffirming its condemnation of the 9/11 attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The statement stressed that terrorism is criminal and unjustifiable regardless of its motivation and must not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or group.
Pakistan’s UN envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad highlighted his country’s own losses in the fight against terrorism. He said more than 4,700 Pakistanis had been killed by terrorism originating from Afghanistan over the past three years and pointed to attacks attributed to groups including the TTP and BLA.
The meeting underscored how the September 11 attacks continue to influence international security discussions, while the council renewed its commitment to combating terrorist organisations and their financing, planning and support.
