At Ground Zero in New York City, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum held its 25th anniversary memorial of the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. In attendance were current Vice President JD Vance and former presidents George W. Bush Jr., Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. Many families of the victims of 9/11 read the names of their lost loved ones from the microphone.
When the time came for Terry Strada, National Chair of 9/11 Families United, to read her husband’s name, the late Tom Strada, she took the opportunity to speak directly to the people and the sitting officials. Her voice was very calm and clear:
“My husband Tom Strada. You are missed more with each year that passes. But how can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder?
“Yes, we finally made it into a court and have proved that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fermented a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism around the globe and then sent its agents to support the radical Islamist hijackers so they could attack you and all of our loved ones. But for 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families.
They withheld evidence. They vetoed JASTA. They broke promises—both public and private.
“It has been one betrayal after another. President Trump can still change that. Tell the Saudis to stop lying. Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through. Vice President Vance, thank you for being here today.
“Please carry that message back. Stand with the families. Stand with the survivors. Stand with Americans. As my husband Tom would have said, that is always the right thing to do.
“God bless all of us. God bless America.”
The audience erupted into loud applause for her courage and leadership.
During the 171st meeting of the International Peace Coalition, which was held that same morning, a message from Terry Strada was relayed by co-moderator Dennis Speed, sending her appreciation for what was organized at that meeting.
