US Amb. to H.S. speaks about 9/11 attacks on 15th anniversary

(Vatican Radio)  As the United States marks the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, recalls his own reactions and emotions on that fateful day and discusses whether enough has been done to engage a public debate about the causes of the attacks and how to address them. He was interviewed by Tracey McClure.

Listen to the interview with the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett: 

Ambassador Hackett was working as the head of Catholic Relief Services in the U.S. city of Baltimore when news broke of the first plane crashing into New York's Twin Towers and as he put it, “things kept getting worse throughout the day” with each new attack. Recalling his own emotions, he spoke of how “shocking” it all was, that “sense of helplessness” and just “the enormity of it.” On the practical level, Hackett said his first reaction was to check on the safety of all the staff working for Catholic Relief Services throughout the world. 

Asked to comment on the view that the 9/11 attacks brought out the best of the American people, the U.S. envoy said that “was the positive element” coming out of this tragedy. He paid tribute to the “heroic acts” of the many fire fighters and police officers who rushed to respond to the attack on the Twin Towers, scores of whom died when the towers collapsed, and the “many acts of selflessness” carried out by people trying to help and respond to the terrible event.

Turning to whether enough has been done to engage a public debate about the causes of 9/11 and how to address them, Hackett said this was only “partially” the case. Whilst there is now a greater awareness and sensitivity about terrorism, he said “probably not enough has been done” on this front, saying Americans could have used this chance to “think more deeply about what is going on and what we can do.”

In the same way, Hackett said during this year's U.S. Presidential campaign he believed that the “debate has not been rich enough about not just terrorism but who we are as Americans.”  We need, he continued “to make efforts to foster dialogue, understanding tolerance,”….. “We should be doing more of it. We should be reaching out, looking for opportunities to engage with people of other faiths and different nationalities.” 

Hackett concluded by saying that he believed that this aspect “will be thrown upon the next President of the United States’ agenda: How can the USA engage in a more positive way with different peoples of the world.”