Joe Biden's 9/11 speech: US President says al-Qaeda terrorists tried to bury democracy in 'burning fire'

On the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, US President Joe Biden spoke about "an obligation, a duty, a responsibility, to defend, preserve and protect our democracy".

Speaking at a commemoration ceremony at the Pentagon, Biden said that 9/11 terrorists tried to bury American democracy in "burning fire and smoke and ash". The President said that it is not enough to stand up for democracy once a year, but has to be done "every single day".

Biden called 11 September "a day not only to remember, but also a day for renewal and resolve for each and every American in devotion to this country". He added, "What was destroyed, we have repaired. What was threatened, we fortified. What was attacked, the indomitable spirit, has never, ever wavered."

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On 11 September 2001, al-Qaeda terrorists carried out the deadliest terror attacks on US soil, including the crashing of planes into the World Trade Center towers, and the Pentagon. Almost 3,000 people had died.