Obama Pays Tribute to Fallen on 9/11 Anniversary

Tributes, ribbons, et cetera

For President Barack Obama, the prospect of more U.S. military action in the Middle East hung over his observance Wednesday of the Sept. 11 attacks that occurred a dozen years ago.

While Obama made no direct mention of the crisis in Syria, he vowed to "defend our nation" against the threats that endure, even though they may be different than the ones facing the country during the 2001 attacks.

"Let us have the wisdom to know that while force is sometimes necessary, force alone cannot build the world we seek," Obama said during a ceremony at the Pentagon.