Obama Reflects on 9/11, War That Followed

Eight Years Later, New President Weighs More Troops for Afghanistan

Eight years after the attacks that led to the war in Afghanistan, President Obama -- the war's new commander in chief -- commemorated his first 9/11 anniversary as president with a moment of silence at the White House and remarks at the Pentagon.

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A look at where things stand on the eighth anniversary of the US terror attacks.

Obama attended a small, private gathering of victims' families at the Pentagon and laid a wreath at the outdoor memorial with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

"Eight Septembers have come and gone. Nearly 3,000 days have passed; almost one for each of those taken from us," he said on a cool, rainy day in the Washington area. "But no turning of the season can diminish the pain and the loss of that day. No passage of time and no dark skies can ever dull the meaning of this moment."

The president spoke directly to the families of victims gathered for a memorial service at the Pentagon. "[N]o words can ease the ache of your heart. No deeds can fill the empty places in your homes," he said. "But on this day and all that follow, you may find solace in the memory of those you loved and know that you have the unending support of the American people."

Earlier today the president and first lady Michelle Obama marked a moment of silence with staff at the White House at 8:46 a.m., the moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

Obama signed an order earlier this year declaring Sept. 11 as a national day of service and said that today Americans can "summon once more that ordinary goodness of America to serve our communities, to strengthen our country and to better our world."