SEPTEMBER 11 marks 10 years since the destruction of the World Trade Centre. I still have vivid recollections of the event since I had only recently returned from a vacation in New York when the destruction took place.

As I watched live coverage of the inferno on television my thoughts raced back to a relative of mine who worked at the Trade Centre and who proudly took me on a visit to her office in the upper section of the building. It was quite an imposing structure and I could not help but marvel at the extraordinary architectural and engineering skills that were so much in evidence.

It did not take long before my worst fears were realized. My relative was among the hundreds who perished in the disaster. She simply vanished into thin air and the only trace of her mortal existence was some forensic evidence which was made available to the family. She left to mourn a husband and four children, one of whom was still an infant.

If there is one lesson to be learnt from this disaster it is that no country is immune from terrorist acts. Norway is the latest reminder of how vulnerable we all are regardless of which part of the world we live in.