US marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks with memorials and reflection

Americans gathered at memorials across the United States on Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, honoring the nearly 3,000 victims and reflecting on the enduring national trauma. Ceremonies were held at the three primary attack sites: the National September 11 Memorial in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. At the Pentagon ceremony, former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, who was serving in that role during the attacks, expressed deep personal remorse for the failure of authorities to prevent the tragedy. "Those of us in authority on that day did not see the nature of the danger in time to prevent the attack of 9/11," Rice said. "I will always carry deep personal remorse for the pain that you, the families of the fallen, still feel, and for the trauma that our country endured." In New York, family members of victims, joined by Vice President JD Vance and former presidents, read the names of the 2,977 people killed in the attacks.