Seven years after the fatal morning of September 11,2001, the world remembered the victims of the tragedy, wondering how safe we are today.

Joanna Najfeld reports

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[PRESIDENT BUSH]: 'Seven years ago at this hour, a doomed airliner plunged from the sky, split the rock and steel of this building and changed our world forever. Each year on this day, our thoughts return to this place. Here we remember those who died, and here on this solemn anniversary, we dedicate our memorial that will enshrine their memory for all time.'

America marked 9/11 opening a memorial park. Two major presidential candidates postponed negative campaigning for one day to meet at Ground Zero and pay tribute to the victims.

Thousands of miles away, in Poland, commemoration ceremonies were also held. In the heart of the Baltic city of Gdynia, in front of the local World Trade Center, flowers were laid at the 9/11 plaque. "On the 11th of September 2001 we all became New Yorkers," says the inscription of the stone. City Mayor of Gdynia, Wojciech Szczurek said the ceremony was a tribute to all victims of terrorism: 'This is a symbolic date. It touched the imagination of people around the globe, as the largest terrorist attack of modern history. But sadly, every year, the list of terrorism-struck places is growing. Such attacks are becoming a method of solving conflicts.'

Polish firefighters kept the guard of honor at the 9/11 memorial to remind the role the heroic rescuers played that day, says brigadier Krzysztof Markiewicz: 'The firefighters of all countries know one another very well. We are one big family. That's why we feel even more ties with those who saved New Yorkers. Our guard of honor is a way of showing gratitude to them for their work and their efforts to save human life.'

Other events to mark the anniversary were also held in other cities, and these included conferences on safety in urban areas seven years after the tragedy.

The recent Gallup poll shows that Americans are less and less afraid of terrorism. For the residents of Poland, however, such a threat seems very distant. Even in Warsaw, which seems the most prone to terrorism, as the country's capital city.

[WOMAN] 'I don't think there will be a terrorist attack, I am more afraid of weather abnormalities, like hurricanes.'

[WOMAN] 'We're not 100% safe, that's for sure. But it's better not to think about it, not to panic.'

[MAN] 'Why would they attack Poland? Poland is not involved in such heavy issues.'

[MAN] 'Basically, we can feel safe. But there is always  this memory of 9/11 and what happened in America.'

Over the past several years, the authorities of Warsaw, spent 250 million zloty, that is a hundred million dollars on upgrading security in the city. More surveillance cameras, police officers patrolling the streets, new emergency management center, walk-through metal detectors in important buildings. Train stations, sky scrapers, airports and public transportation are under special scrutiny.

'Of course the passengers can feel safe, but we cannot give any detailed information on this. Precisely as a safety measure,' says Jakub Mielniczuk, the spokesman for the Warsaw airport.

The Warsaw underground - the only line in Poland - has a double system of monitoring. On top of that the police regularly organizes terrorist threat awareness campaigns for passengers, says Karol Jakubowski of the police headquarters: 'Police officers distribute leaflets, telling people how to behave and what to pay attention to using public transportation.'

Warsaw's central train station is an old building and its security measures need to be continually improved, says Tadeusz Grzybowski, deputy head of the city's Safety and Crisis Management Department: 'There is a monitoring system at the central station. It is being modernized. We also have police officers and city guards patrolling the object. Over the past seven years, we haven't had any serious situations in Warsaw.'

Still, regular terrorist threat drills are organized in Warsaw. Costly and uncomfortable as they may be, they are worth the bother. Because on 9/11, nobody was expecting danger either.

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