WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama marked the lead up to the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York with an address lauding the US role in Afghanistan.

"We brought an end to the Taliban regime. We've trained Afghan security forces, and forged a partnership with a new Afghan Government. And by the end 2014, the transition in Afghanistan will be complete and our war there will be over," Obama said Saturday in the White House.

Obama called on Americans to not allow any act of terrorism to "change who we are".

"We are Americans, and we will protect and preserve this country we love. On this solemn anniversary, let's remember those we lost, let us reaffirm the values they stood for, and let us keep moving forward as one nation and one people," he added.

"We took the fight to al Qaeda, decimated their leadership, and put them on a path to defeat. And thanks to the courage and skill of our intelligence personnel and armed forces, Osama bin Laden will never threaten America again. Instead of pulling back from the world, we've strengthened our alliances while improving our security here at home. As Americans, we refuse to live in fear," he said.

On September 11 2001, al Qaeda operatives hijacked four passenger jets, crashing two into the Twin Towers in New York, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

The US-led mission in Afghanistan was launched a month later to hunt Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden who was believed to have been living in Afghanistan's mountains. Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces in May 2011 during a raid on his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Obama's speech came a day after the US designated the militant Haqqani Network group as a foreign terrorist organization. The group has strongholds in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and is accused of high-profile attacks against Nato forces.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday signed a report to Congress saying the network met criteria for a terrorist designation.

However, the group is affiliated to the Taliban which the US is seeking to negotiate with for peace in Afghanistan. A senior Haqqani commander told Reuters via a telephone interview that the designation shows the US is not sincere about peace efforts in Afghanistan.

The group also warned that the new label will bring "hardship" for US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who is being held by the militants. (Tolo News)