Rosemary Cain, whose New York City firefighter son died in the September 11 World Trade Center inferno trying to save others, said the United States must continue to go after Islamic militants in other countries.
"Anybody who thinks there is no evil around us, and these people are going back to their caves ... they are living in a fairy tale world," Cain said from her home in Massapequa on New York's Long Island.
George Cain, her son, was 35 years old and a member of New York City Fire Department Ladder 7 in Manhattan when he perished after al Qaeda Islamic militants crashed hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center twin towers in 2001.
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq launched in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and operations to ferret out of Islamic militants in other countries are necessary to safeguard America, she said.
"I think we had to do it. I think we have to continue to have to do it," Cain added.
"We live in a very selfish world and yet we have wonderful young Americans who are so willing to sacrifice their lives and their families and go off to these Godforsaken countries to keep us safe here, and that's what it means to me," Cain said.
Her views are similar to some victims' family organizations such as "9/11 Families for a Secure America" and "Move America Forward" that support tough anti-terrorism measures at home and abroad.
Cain has attended all the anniversary ceremonies at the site where her son and nearly 3,000 others died 10 years ago. She said she celebrated there after U.S. forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May.
She lovingly remembers her son. "He built me a beautiful front porch, he was a carpenter. I have peace in my heart when I sit on my porch because I know it was built for me with love from my son," she said.