Support From World Leaders: Selected Remarks From the 56th General Assembly Plenary

Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations
"No words can express our revulsion and sorrow at the senseless loss of life on 11 September.  We share in the pain and grief of our host country and host city.  Like them, we are determined to overcome the forces that inflicted the ordeal upon us."

Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of Brazil
"The victims of terrorism will not be forgotten, nor will those responsible for those acts go unpunished, be they individuals, groups or States that give them support.  The march of folly will be vigorously resisted by the solid alliance of all free peoples.  The struggle against terrorism is not, and must never become, a clash between civilizations, much less between religions."

Han Seung-Soo, President of the General Assembly of the United Nations
"The heinous terrorist attacks of 11 September were an unspeakable tragedy not just for the United States, but for the entire international community."

Thabo Mbeki, President of South Africa
"There can be no hesitation among any of us in the resolve to work together to ensure that those responsible for the heinous actions of 11 September are brought to justice.  This is not only because many nations lost their citizens on that terrible day, important as this is.  It is so because terrorism has demonstrated that it has no respect for borders.  It has shown in a very graphic, tragic and painful manner, as it did also in Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania, that our very humanity renders all of us, without exception, into potential targets of cold-blooded murder.  The events of 11 September emphasized the point that even as the democratic system of government is being consolidated throughout the world, there are some who are prepared to resort to force in pursuit of their goals."

Vicente Fox, President of Mexico
 "There is no doubt the magnitude and cruelty of the 11 September attacks underscored the vulnerability of States and the fragility of world peace.  International terrorism not only flaunts international law, but endangers the stability of the community of nations.  Neither the justness of a cause nor the inequality between antagonists -- or any grounds -- could justify resorting to violence."

Jorge Batlle Ibanez, President of Uruguay
"We must fight every form of terrorism at every level, domestic and international, and on every front, be it legal, military, security and intelligence, administrative and management.  This attitude demands from us a high degree of conviction.  Terrorism is by definition a blind and iniquitous phenomenon.  Blind because it does not visualize or transmit goals that have been accepted by the others, thus sinking into irrationality.  Iniquitous because it attacks with no measure people and property and introduces fear and anxiety."

Hugo Chavez Frias, President of Venezuela
"Today, in the new century, we have suffered the abominable attacks of 11 September, attacks which are counter to the culture of peace and the dialogue among civilizations.  The year 2001 ran counter to the good will of the peoples of the world.  Suddenly the drums of war are sounding again, and more than ever, with greater determination, we say our struggle for peace must be a priority.  Venezuela has joined in the chorus that rejected those abominable events.  The fight against terrorism should be transformed into a war against war."

Ricardo Lagos Escobar, President of Chile
"New York is the city that best represents the values which the twentieth century defended at a cost of much suffering:  its welcome to those who were persecuted; its respect for all nationalities, races and religions; opportunities for all; and its protection of individual rights through democracy.  The terrorist attack on New York was therefore an attack on the unity of our nations.  We salute the Government of the United States and President Bush, who has managed to contain passions and to act in a reasoned manner."

Seyed Mohammad Khatami, President of Iran
"The threat of terrorism should not be underestimated, nor should its devastating consequences be measured only in the visible realm of politics.  Terrorism cannot be attributed to any religion or nationality; nor can it be eradicated through rage and violence.  The disaster in the United States is so tragic and grave that it implores all thinkers to engage in deep reflection. "

Anatoliy Zlenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
"The terrorist acts in the United States demonstrated that the philosophy of hatred, which has no religious, ethnic or linguistic affiliation, became one of the key challenges of the contemporary world.  Ukraine fully supports the resolve of the United States to give an effective rebuff to perpetrators, patrons and instigators of the terrorist acts."