9/11 anniversary to be low key affair in US

Though the events to commemorate the 2,983 people killed would be subdued, administration is taking no chances ramping up security measures across the US ahead of the ceremonies, specially at New York's Ground Zero and the capital Washington DC.

The main event would be held at Ground Zero and would comprise a ritual reading of names of those killed, sans the presence of any VVIPs, unlike in years gone-by when the presidents and mayors would be in attendance.

Next of the kin of the dead will take turns to read the names against the backdrop mournful music.

Those attending will pause for a moment of silence to mark the time when each of the four planes hijacked by al-Qeada turned into killer fireballs smashing into twin towers, into Pentagon and into a field near Pennsylvania.

President Barack Obama in the thick of campaign for his re-election and First Lady Michelle will mark the anniversary with a moment of silence in the White House lawns. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will also skip the ceremony.

Even his rival Mitt Romney is keeping away from political events to keep the sanctity of the occasion. Both Obama and Romney are taking down their negative advertisements in a brief truce from political battle.

Though the VVIPs may mark the anniversary in small private events, Obama presided over a meeting in the White House, where he was briefed about the security.

According to a White House statement, "Obama was briefed by key national security principals on our preparedness and security posture on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of September 11th."

The stepped up security measures came as Taliban, in a statement ahead of the anniversary, threatened "US forces face utter defeat in Afghanistan and Americans are unsafe wherever they go in the world."

The US pre-poll surveys show the ailing American economy has become the main issue with the public.

The passage of time seems to have dampened the public passions of the events and cooled public attention.

A skyscraper at One World Trade Center is near completion and will again be the tallest building in New York, as were the Twin Towers before they came down.