U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thanked Canadians for helping stranded passengers after the 9/11 attacks, calling it a reminder of the friendship between the two countries as she visited Nova Scotia on Monday.

Rice took part in an afternoon ceremony at Halifax International Airport to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Her audience included some of the many volunteers from Halifax and other communities in Atlantic Canada who helped host 21,000 passengers after air traffic was shut down over the United States in the wake of the attacks.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is escorted by Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay as she visits Halifax on Monday.
(Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

"You acted with skill and professionalism, despite the fact that no one could have been prepared for what was asked of you," Rice said.

People in Atlantic Canada took in strangers and provided them with food and a place to sleep for days until the air restrictions were lifted.

Rice called Canada and the United States the "best of friends," saying  a tragedy like 9/11 is a reminder that there's nothing like a friend.

Her Canadian counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, said terrorism is not a threat that the Americans are fighting alone.

Security was tightened for Rice's visit, with the city closing several downtown streets to accommodate her motorcade.

Protesters question Rice's motivation

Close to 100 protesters filled the street in front of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic to protest Rice's visit to Halifax.

Many protesters dipped their hands in red paint to symbolize blood on their hands as they chanted "Condi go home."

The peace coalition has questioned the motivation for Rice's visit, dismissing it as part of a public relations campaign meant to boost support for the military mission in Afghanistan.

"We have quite strong feelings against the invasion of Iraq and the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan, and I think there's not enough discussion why there's a war in Afghanistan," said Anne Webb, who brought her two young sons to the protest.

"We'd just like to have our children have a broad education, to see things from different perspectives and different experiences and this is one of them."

In 2004, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Halifax during a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Tory government have strongly supported keeping Canada's more than 2,000 troops in Afghanistan, where they are in charge of NATO forces in the south. NATO Gen. James L. Jones called a few days ago for NATO members to provide more soldiers.

But the government is facing increasing opposition, including from the NDP, which passed a resolution at a policy convention on the weekend that made withdrawing the troops part of the party's official platform.

Canadian troops serving as part of the multinational force have suffered a number of recent casualties —including one death when U.S. warplanes mistakenly strafed Canadian troops. Rice was also scheduled to travel to Stellarton, which is in MacKay's riding, for a breakfast event on Tuesday morning.

MacKay said he had been trying to get Rice to visit his home province since meeting her in April.