In GOP debate, 9/11 anniversary barely a blip

[September 08, 2011]  SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) -- During a Republican debate just days before the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the threats of terrorism took a backseat to the domestic challenges of jobs and the economy.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Wednesday night that the United States had its "innocence shattered." The former diplomat in Republican and Democratic administration said he wants to focus on the United States' core.

Sunday marks a decade since al-Qaida crashed two planes into New York's Twin Towers and a third into the Pentagon. A fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.

A day ahead of Obama's high-profile speech on jobs to Congress, the GOP presidential contenders kept focused on the economy during a debate in California.

[Associated Press]

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