New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani says the terrorist attacks on the United States were also attacks on the United Nations.
It was only the third time in history that a mayor of New York has addressed the U.N. General Assembly. Mr. Giuliani has been widely praised for his handling of the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York and U.N. leaders believed it was important to hear from him.
In an impassioned speech before the Assembly began a week-long debate on terrorism, Mr. Giuliani said the attacks of September 11 were attacks on the United Nations itself. "This was not just an attack on the city of New York or on the United States of America," he said. "It was an attack on the very idea of a free, inclusive and civil society. It was a direct assault on the founding principles of the United Nations itself. The preamble to the U.N. charter states that this organization exists to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and the dignity and worth of the human person."
Mr. Giuliani said the people of New York and the United States are "from all of you," meaning that every nation in the world is represented among U.S. citizens.
Saying there is "no room for neutrality" on the issue of terrorism, the Mayor said love eventually conquers hate but that it needs our help.