9/11 anniversary: Obama lauds American ideals

President Barack Obama has paid tribute to American ideals, ending a day of commemorations to honour the victims of the 9/11 attacks.

He said the decade since the attacks showed Americans' resolve to defend their way of life.

The ideal that "men and women should govern themselves... has only been strengthened", he said.

Nearly 3,000 people died when four hijacked airliners crashed in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

Mr Obama was speaking during a memorial concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

Earlier in the day he had attended memorial ceremonies at the three sites where four airliners hijacked by al-Qaeda militants crashed: The World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a Pennsylvania field.

Posted in: USA News