Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has marked the 25th anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks, paying tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives and reaffirming Britain’s enduring solidarity with the United States.
Writing on the anniversary, Streeting said Britain had stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the United States in the aftermath of the attacks and would continue to stand with its closest ally in defence of democracy and freedom.
He said:
“25 years ago, the UK stood shoulder to shoulder, without hesitation, alongside our friends in the United States against the hateful terrorist ideology that took thousands of lives.”
Streeting added:
“We stood together then. We stand together today – in defence of democracy and freedom.”
He also said his prayers were with families for whom the anniversary remained especially painful.
Nearly 3,000 people killed
The attacks of 11 September 2001 killed nearly 3,000 people after hijacked passenger aircraft were flown into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, while another crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control.
Among those who died were 67 British citizens, making 9/11 one of the deadliest terrorist attacks to involve British victims.
The Ministry of Defence marked the anniversary by remembering all those killed and highlighting the longstanding security relationship between Britain and the United States.
Britain stood with America
Streeting’s message recalled the immediate British response to the attacks and the close cooperation that followed between the two countries.
The UK became a key American ally in the international response to terrorism after 9/11, while cooperation on intelligence, counter-terrorism and defence has remained a central part of the UK-US relationship over the subsequent quarter-century.
As Defence Secretary, Streeting has responsibility for Britain’s Armed Forces and wider defence relationships, including cooperation with NATO allies and strategic partners.
Remembering the victims and their families
The anniversary is also an intensely personal day for thousands of families in the United States, Britain and around the world.
Streeting stressed that behind the geopolitical consequences of 9/11 were individual lives lost and families whose grief continues 25 years later.
His intervention echoed commemorations taking place on both sides of the Atlantic, with political leaders, military personnel and communities remembering those killed as well as the emergency responders who entered the World Trade Center and other attack sites.
‘We stand together today’
Twenty-five years after the attacks, Streeting used the anniversary not only to remember the victims but also to reaffirm the principles that underpin the UK-US alliance.
His message was that the partnership between Britain and America remains rooted in a shared commitment to democracy, freedom and collective security — and that a quarter of a century later, the victims of 9/11 and their families have not been forgotten.
