September 12, 2003

9/11 ANNIVERSARY:  U.S. 'RESOLUTE' ON TERROR, BUT WORLD NOT YET 'SECURE'

 

**  Commemorating 9/11, world media find the war on terror "full of failure," the world "no safer."

 

**  The U.S. "squandered" post-9/11 "goodwill," alienated allies and created "new enemies."

 

**  Editorialists fear the world is more "divided than united" since 9/11.

 

**  Two years on, a "collective effort" to fight terror is still "badly needed."

 

Terrorism remains a 'persistent threat'; U.S. has 'made a bad situation worse'-- As world media took stock of the global war on terror, the picture they painted was grim.  The common refrain across all regions is that that "for all the titanic efforts" and despite U.S. "military triumphs," the world "is not any safer."  Columnists reiterated how the U.S. used "massive force" in Afghanistan and Iraq but has been "unable to win the war on terror."  Echoing the pervasive pessimism, the UK's Unionist Belfast Telegraph held: "The most discouraging feature of the post-9/11 era is that the wars that were intended to root out terrorism have done nothing of the kind."  A Singapore daily captured the growing fear that the world now faces "the ghastly possibility of Iraq becoming a magnet for jihadists."  Tanzania's leftist Rai declared "all the steps" Bush has taken so far "have helped foster enmity against America and its people."   

 

Post-9/11 goodwill has 'evaporated'--  Observers emphasized that the "sympathy bonus" for the U.S. following the 9/11 attacks "was used up long ago."  The Bush administration "wasted a great opportunity" and, according to Oslo's social-democratic Dagsavisen, "recklessly threw away this support."  Many papers held the "hawks" in the administration responsible.  A UAE daily determined that Washington's "stridency in following a partisan, hawkish definition" of "what constitutes terror" has "alienated much of the goodwill" generated by the attacks.  Bush "made a strategic mistake," mused Spain's conservative ABC, when "he confronted a great part" of the world over Iraq "instead of maintaining the overwhelming support he had on 9/11."

 

World is 'more divided' than two years ago--  Editorials reflected concern about a "clash of civilizations" and the loss of "cohesiveness" in the West.  Although al-Qaida did not achieve its aim of "inflaming" the Islamic world "to rise up," analysts worried that the "divisions" among the U.S. and allies handed a "triumph" to the terrorists.  An Israeli writing in mass-circulation Yediot Aharanot, for one, noted "if the objective of the [9/11] attacks was to destabilize the status of the West in the eyes of millions of Muslims, it is regrettably possible to proclaim its utter success."  West Bank, Pakistani, Cuban and other developing country papers accused the U.S. of using 9/11 to go on a "hunting spree" to "punish the entire world."  Pro-U.S. conservative British and Aussie writers, stood apart, vowing "no relenting in the war on terror" and citing the fact of no major attack on a "Western country" as evidence of GWOT's effectiveness.

 

Fighting terror demands 'mutual collaboration'; 'no one can remain neutral'--  On a positive note, editorials also revisited the need for a "collective effort" to fight global terror.  The whole world should "feel responsible" for fighting what an Indonesian paper termed a "crime against humanity."  Since the "menace" of terrorism is "universal," proclaimed the pro-government Times of Oman, "there is a dire need for the whole world to unite in fighting it."

 

EDITOR: Irene Marr

 

EDITOR'S NOTE:  This report is based on 92 reports from 52 countries, September 10-12. Editorial excerpts from each country are listed from the most recent date.

 

EUROPE

 

BRITAIN:  "How The West Is Winning"

 

The conservative Daily Telegraph editorialized (9/11):  "The collapse of the Twin Towers, that most awful of images, strengthened [the terrorists'] belief that they had fatally wounded a decadent nation that for years had humiliated the Islamic world....  Yet, two years on, the Great Satan, far from collapsing, has shown extraordinary courage and determination in countering this apocalyptic threat....  The fact that no Western country has suffered a major terrorist attack for the past two years points to the effectiveness of this campaign....  The Israeli-Palestinian conflict offers no such encouragements....  Two years after September 11, it remains a potent and widespread scourge.  But its most spectacular manifestation, rather than causing demoralization, has opened the world's eyes to the true nature of the threat."

 

"September 11: Two Lost Years"

 

The left-of-center Guardian judged (9/11):  "When viewed in political, economic and geostrategic rather than purely human terms, September 11 is proving to be unique.  Far from diminishing as time goes by, its impact is ever more far-reaching--and ever more damaging.  It is as if Osama bin Laden had exploded, figuratively speaking, a thermonuclear bomb at the heart of the global order....  Two years on [the reaction] must be judged, regrettably, to have failed....  There have been successes.  But overall, George Bush has made a bad situation worse....  Mr. Bush and his top officials are woefully failing the American people and America's allies.  America can do better than this.  But it needs more able, less ideologically warped people in charge."

 

"Two Years On:  Myth And Reality About September 11"

 

From an editorial in the conservative Times (9/11):  "[The notion] that the War on Terror has been weakened by the actual decision to conduct it...is a completely ludicrous proposition.  And the idea that Mr. Bush has lost interest in al-Qaida since deciding to seek Saddam Hussein's political scalp is not more compelling.  This was an attack on tolerance and on pluralism, and its tragic toll provided succor for a new generation of extremists."

 

"Lessons Of 11 September"

 

The center-left Independent held (9/11):  "Of all the conclusions drawn from 11 September, however, the 'war on terror' declared by President Bush in its wake has been at once the most dangerous and the most futile....  Two years on, its successes are minimal; its failings stand as monuments to U.S. misconceptions about the world and the reach of state power.  The chief villains identified by the U.S. are all still at large....  The 'war on terror' has produced only more war and more terror."

 

"Two Years On, Bush May Be Losing War To al-Qaida"

 

Daniel McGrory commented in the conservative Times (9/10):  "Laying every attack at al-Qaida's door makes it easier for the West to make some sort of sense out of the spreading violence, although experts argue that militant groups follow an ideal, not an organization....  There are now more young, disillusioned Muslims wanting to take up the cause than there were two years ago.  Every day there are warnings of an imminent attack somewhere in the world.  Each threat must be investigated, draining resources intended for tracking al-Qaida and its supporters.  Documents found in former hideouts and the confessions of captives show that terror groups hanker for a new spectacular.  In response, the Americans are no longer so defensive about trampling on human rights at Guantanamo Bay or even torturing suspects if it helps to prevent an attack.  Mr. Bush rarely mentions the name of Bin Laden these days.  The failure to capture the world's most-wanted terrorist is a huge embarrassment to the White House."

 

"Time For The UN To Take A Central Role"

 

The lead op-ed in the Belfast Telegraph held (9/11):  "Today is one of those anniversaries that is permanently engraved in the memory. So much has changed in the past two years and yet it is difficult to say that much progress has been made....  Nevertheless, the most discouraging feature of the post 9/11 era is that the wars that were intended to root out terrorism have done nothing of the kind.  Afghanistan may not be the training center for al-Qaida that it once was, but the warlords are fighting back.  Iraq may have lost a dictator, but its territory has become a fertile breeding ground for Islamic discontent, which is spreading throughout the Middle East.  It was always a misconception to think that terrorism was an enemy that could be defeated by force of arms, as anyone familiar with the situation in Northern Ireland could have forecast....  The war will continue, on many fronts, but the experience in Iraq shows that America and Britain cannot hope to act as the world's policemen.  There is still no proof that the Iraqi regime ever constituted a real an imminent threat, or was linked to the Islamists, so the only way of reconstructing a broken country without incurring further anti-Western feeling is by international action, through the United Nations.  If this decision were taken, it would be the best memorial to 9/11."

FRANCE:  "Birth Of The First American Empire"

Guy Sorman judged in right-of-center Le Figaro (9/12):  “From Sept. 11 came the first American empire.… But the much-needed criticism of this empire would be more legitimate if it were the result of a concerted plan to reform the UN.  Since no one is speaking of such reforms...the UN will remain an annex of the Red Cross.… While the American empire does not necessarily have the recipe for happiness, no one anywhere will deny its ability for effectiveness.  In time, the proof will lie with either the failure or the universality of the principles adopted by this empire: democracy, individualism and consumption.  Yet there is no counter-model or a European alternative.  There is only protest against the American empire and the choice between being Americanized or not.”

 

"A New Century, Another War"

 

Charles Lambroschini commented in right-of-center Le Figaro (9/11):  “The true beginning of the 21st Century was Sept. 11, 2001.  That is when the terrorists imposed a ‘new world order.’  After centuries of humiliation, Islam is looking for revenge.  This new World War has ideological aspirations....  Bin Laden has invented a new weapon: the poor man’s atomic weapon is the suicide attack, which turns the weak into the strong; until the day when chemical agents will turn Bin Laden’s cohorts into invincible enemies.  The response is a difficult one.  As demonstrated in Iraq and the post-war, the U.S. cannot easily adapt to a conflict with an unclear front or with an invisible enemy.  And democracy as a cause is not enough to rally its allies.  For various reasons President Bush has been unable to rally support, including because the EU questions Washington’s blind support of Ariel Sharon and because France and Germany fear that the intervention against Saddam has durably destabilized the Middle East.  But no one can remain neutral, because Islam’s terrorists target more than just America.  They have declared war on the West.”

 

"Two Years After"

 

Left-of-center Le Monde editorialized (9/11):  “The September 11 attacks...prompted a wave of historically unprecedented solidarity with the American people....  Two years later, the U.S.’s popularity is at its lowest....  President George W. Bush’s crusade has found few supporters, including among the U.S.’s traditional allies....  Fundamentalism along with weapons of mass destruction and faltering states certainly pose a new threat for democracies.  But is this justification enough for the U.S. to become the policeman and judge of the world?...  Meanwhile the leader of al-Qaida is still on the run, despite the fall of the Taliban regime....  In Iraq the specter of Saddam Hussein continues to hover....  The democratic remodeling of the Middle East, presented as the grand ideal of the Bush administration has undergone more setbacks than successes and the bloody impasse that the Israeli-Palestinian crisis is in does not give much reason for hope.  The U.S. cannot, alone, in the words of Woodrow Wilson, ‘make the world safe for democracy.’  It must listen to its allies...and respect the international laws it has contributed to establishing.”

 

GERMANY:  "To Resolve Evil By Force Will Not Help Defeat Terrorism"

 

Center-right Nordkurier of Neubrandenburg noted (9/12):  "In the fight against international terrorism, the democracies in this world have fixated their attention on individuals.  Bin Laden in Afghanistan, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and Hamas leaders in the Middle East.  Dead or alive, this is the slogan, as if the hunt for a murderer in Texas could be the pattern for such a hunt.  Those who simply believe in such patterns will fail.  The expansion of the death penalty, which President Bush is now demanding, does not really deter.  And the same is true for the liquidation of leaders of terror groups by Israel.  To resolve the evil by using force will lead into a dead-end street.  It will not help defeat terrorism."

 

"U.S. Exploits Fight Against Terrorism For Political Purposes"

 

Andreas Cichowicz commented on ARD-TV's (national channel one) late evening newscast Tagesthemen (9/11):  "Two years ago, the United States was supported by a wave of sympathy, but today, it has lost sympathy all over the world.  How did it forfeit it?...  The Iraq war is to blame for this.  America's loss of credibility has much to do with the fact that the U.S. government exploits the fight against terrorism for political purposes.  To explain the Iraq war with the attacks on 9/11 is an insult to the victims.  Until today, there has been no evidence of Saddam Hussein's links to al-Qaida.  The hunt for terrorists should not lead one-dimensionally to war.  The free world must also fight against the roots of conflicts and dissatisfaction, against misery and poverty.  The use of force alone will not make the world safer."

 

"The Seed Has Borne Fruit"

 

Stefan Kornelius editorialized in center-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (9/11):  "The al-Qaida terrorist group has not been able to generate the necessary support for such a revolutionary act; nowhere is a real revolt in sight that could turn fanatic Islam into a mass movement.  But nevertheless, all this is not triumph for its opponents, no victory of the attacked West, no success of enlightenment.  On the contrary: not only the feeling of security has been lost in the West but also the political cohesiveness, the much-praised community that shares the same values...is faltering....  If there is a triumph of terrorism, then it exists because of the desolate state of the political systems in global politics, because of the mixed-up strategies, and America's ambitions.  The sympathy bonus for the U.S. following the 9/11 attacks was used up long ago.  The United States lives on loans, and the allies only want to pay because they expect interest some day in the future.  America did not position itself wisely in the fight against this invisible enemy.  It refers to the 'puffing-up' strategy, made itself bigger and stronger than it is anyway and helped, rather than damaged, the terrorists with it.  In this respect, the seed has borne fruit.  Today, Washington has more enemies than before 9/11."

 

"Wasted Opportunity"

 

Right-of-center Luebecker Nachrichten argued (9/11):  "Two years ago, global politics faced a sudden turn, but since then a great chance has been wasted.  Since then, almost everything has gone wrong.  The global anti-terror alliance is no longer worth the paper on which it was written.  The Islamic world is more anti-American than ever before, the Middle East further away from a cease-fire than any time before.  Western values are rejected, liberal and western-oriented Muslims are no longer heard in an increasingly radicalized surrounding.  Instead of an anti-terror package, the anti-U.S. alliance of Arab nationalists and religious fundamentalists is getting stronger.  The war against Iraq made possible what was unthinkable before, but nevertheless, had to be used as a reason to go to war.  Al-Qaida is no longer only an organization, but it has almost turned into a Weltanschauung.  We will continue to think for a long time of 9/11."

 

ITALY :  "The Shadow Of Al-Qaida On September 11 Memories" 

 

New York correspondent Paolo Mastrolilli wrote in centrist, influential La Stampa (9/12):  “Silence, voices of children, bells ringing.  America was hoping that it would be able to entrust to these simple instruments the sober remembrance of the September 11 tragedy, but the deafening noise of terrorism has found, once again, a way to interfere, with a new alarm from the State Department warning against imminent attacks all over the world, with all possible instruments of death....  Remembrance of sorrow was mixed with fresh fears in the wake of the State Department caution.” 

 

"Now, The President Divides America"

 

Ennio Caretto observed in centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera (9/11):  “On the second anniversary of America’s worst tragedy since the Civil War...Bush will attend no public events....   The ‘hawks’ consider the President’s low profile on this second anniversary of September 11 as a ‘false step’:  it underlines his uneasiness after the latest events [and] could be seen as an admission of being wrong.  However, Bush’s low profile could even mark a turning point in (U.S.) policy, even without giving in to the use of strength.  This represents a further reason by which, in America, his rivals in the run to the White House should not insult him, and abroad, his allies should not humiliate the U.S. president just when al-Qaida reiterates its challenge....  U.S. failure either in the global fight against terrorism or the change of Iraq into a market democracy would have (negative) repercussions on the entire world.“

 

"War On Terror Is Not Yet Finished"

 

Fiamma Nirenstein opined in the front page of centrist, influential La Stampa (9/11):  “Today, we Europeans are talking very much about Bush’s difficulties, and we certainly avoid taking on any responsibility on ourselves.  We are waiting, in our own ‘courtyard,’ for his fall, just chatting among ourselves.  In Geneva, September 13, the foreign ministers with veto right at the UN...know they will have an important occasion to impose an important change on the situation in Iraq, thus helping the United States to act in an environment which has revealed to be more difficult than predicted.  On the contrary, they will likely express a number of ‘noble’ remarks on the rights of the Iraqi people as well as the crucial role of the UN, France Germany...they might even end up by bitterly criticizing U.S. resistance to give in its power....  And they (Europeans and UN) would finally confirm the substantial EU-UN hesitation vis-à-vis its possible key role in Iraq.”

 

RUSSIA:  "Pearl Harbor And New York"

 

Veniamin Ginodman wrote in reformist Gazeta (9/11):  "On September 11, 2001, the [U.S.] entered a new era, a new millennium, and a new world war, a new war for a new nation....  As a result, the nation has changed considerably and embarked on restricting the traditional civil rights and liberties as sealed in the Constitution....  After September 11, 2001, the world split--with the Americans awarding each state and international organization a specific qualification--into allies, sympathizers, neutrals, and active and passive enemies."

 

"War On Terror Costly, Useless"

 

Sergey Strokan opined in reformist business-oriented Kommersant (9/11):  "For all the titanic efforts, declarations, resolutions and billions of dollars spent on fighting terrorism, the world has not become safer.  Rather the opposite is true.  It seems that the terrorist threat is all around, reaching far and wide, and grows even more palpable as the antiterrorist campaign intensifies.  Blasphemous though it may sound, the on-going war on terror has become increasingly perilous for the world, as well as costly in every sense of the word and useless.  Something must be wrong with it.  It could be its leaders or methods.  Or is it a misnomer to call it a war?  Do we confuse cause and effect, and does the world, while killing al-Qaida with one hand, beget it with the other?"

 

CZECH REPUBLIC:  "September 11"

 

Jiri Pehe commented in centrist Hospodarske Noviny (9/11):  "We are told that the world has changed fundamentally changed after the terrorist attacks on the U.S.  This is only half true since the important changes took place largely in the U.S. and in its foreign policy.  Europe and the rest of the world reacted halfheartedly.  The U.S. took 9/11 as a declaration of war....  Bush’s government has determined that the UN and international law are not able to cope with the threats and that the U.S. can use preventive war in the defense of its interests.  Europe does not accept this logic....  It believes that the better way is to discuss patiently and 'solve' social problems of the developing world...and for some countries it was easier to throw the blame on the U.S.  The traditional premises of European anti-Americanism came up: arrogant American foreign policy and the inability to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are the reasons for 9/11...but the lesson of 9/11 remains.  Not only the U.S., but the whole Western World is in a war with an enemy that needs to be significantly weakened or destroyed before he acquires WMD.  If this does not happen, September 11 could become a mere passing episode on the road to Armaggedon."

 

HUNGARY:  "In The Web of Terrorism"

 

Gabor Stier editorialized in right-of-center, opposition Magyar Nemzet (9/12):  “In the broader sense of the word, all of us are kicking in the web of terrorism and fear.  Something had gone wrong in the world, and not two years ago.  The terrorists’ actions merely threw light on the fact that...the desperate division of the world, of societies is an increasingly painful phenomenon, and that the anger felt about that takes many people to dead ends....  It is especially worrisome that in the meantime, for two years now, all we have been hearing about is the fight against terrorism.  Walking into the trap of extremists who are not afraid of anything, Washington and London announce it every month that al-Qaida is preparing for more terrorist actions.… For that situation, the responsibility of the world’s leading powers, among them that of the United States, cannot be avoided.  Now it is clear that it did not respond to this challenge in the most appropriate fashion....  It is no accident therefore that, as a consequence of that, serious splits have appeared on the anti-terrorism coalition, too.   After two years, there are many people who feel that not all of us are in New York any longer, and the world, in spite of the billions of dollars spent, just does not want to become safer.”

 

KAZAKHSTAN:  "Terrorism Is Not Defeated"

 

Semi-independent, pro-government weekly Altyn Orda held (9/11):  “In two years since the attacks of September 11th, the U.S. has proven to the world its status as a superpower.  It has openly demonstrated that in order to protect its own strategic interests it will not consider the positions of UN or the international community.  The EU partners of the U.S. have also demonstrated their powerlessness before the White House.  The U.S. has announced a global war against terrorism.  But, terrorism is not defeated.  On the contrary it is growing and spreading across the entire world.”

 

MALTA:  "9/11 Two Years On And Malta"

 

The English-language independent Malta Business Weekly (9/11):  "What happened two years ago must never happen again--in the U.S., in the Middle East, or in Europe.  Our future, and that of our children is at stake.  In the meantime, we can only remember in our prayers, those who lost their lives in New York, and in countries around the world.  Victims of terrorism.  They deserve to be remembered and honored because their sacrifice may one day hopefully lead us to peace."

 

NORWAY:  "11 September"

 

The social democratic newspaper Dagsavisen held (9/11):  “It is today two years since the terror attacks in New York and Washington.  The attacks September 11, 2001 brought about two wars where the repercussions are still going full force, and where the lesson is that war in itself does not solve problems connected to terrorism.  The fall of 2001 a wave of sympathy flooded toward the U.S.  It is almost unbelievable how the Bush administration has managed to recklessly throw away this support.”

 

"Problematic Two Year Anniversary For Bush"

 

In the newspaper of record Aftenposten, Per Egil Hegge commented (9/11):  “The cross-political agreement from the fall of 2001, securely anchored in that the democrats didn’t want to or dare to criticize the Commander in Chief in the first months, has disintegrated....  It is not good foreign policy tradecraft when the UN is first pushed to the side during the time leading up to the war, and than asked to help with both soldiers and money when it doesn’t go according to America’s plan....  [Bush and his advisors] have not been willing to see the effect of setting aside fundamental guaranteed rights for those who are interned at Guantanamo....  Neither Osama bin Laden or Saddam Hussein have been captured.  Al-Qaida’s power base has been reduced according to the American’s official view, but Islamic terrorists are carrying out actions in Indonesia, the Middle East, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Morocco, Tunis and Kenya, not to mention Iraq, and the list is not complete....  It can seem as if George W. Bush is not getting the best advice.”

 

PORTUGAL:  "A Battle That Applies To Everyone"

 

Editor-in-chief José Manuel Fernandes noted in a signed editorial in influential moderate left daily Público (9/11):  “The 11th of September marked the end of the old world....  We continue to have to fight for a model of civilization based on the respect of law and individual rights and that has found expression in government as liberal democracy.  It was against this world of ours that the airplanes that toppled the Twin Towers hastened, as it was against this world of ours that the attack in Baghdad killed Sergio Vieira de Mello....  Iraq is the new battleground.  Not only for the United States and the United Kingdom.  Not only for the more than 20 countries that are already supporting them in the field.  But for all of those who on September 11 felt that, because they were part of the world who was thus attacked, joined the director of the ‘Le Monde’ in his famous proclamation: ‘We are all Americans.’  In other words: the destiny of Iraq is going to affect all of us, so that we all must find minimum platforms in order to maximize the probability of success....  What is required is not only the opening of the United States toward a larger involvement of the UN in civilian missions, but also the recognition of the evidence, on the part of the members of the Security Council, that only the United States...has the capacity to undertake military and security operations.”

 

"What Bin Laden Won"

 

Yasmin A.-Brown, center-right weekly O Independente columnist, had this to say in an op-ed in respected center-left daily Diário de Notícias (9/11):  “Two years after the savage attacks...did [the U.S.] or its profound enemies learn some really useful lessons?  Are we more safe today?  A resounding no is the response to both those questions....  The USA is reinforcing the worst aspects of its policy and culture and removing everything that made and makes that country admired by millions....   In that sense, Bin Laden won.  He created global chaos and much hatred; he distorted the minds of Muslims and destabilized them; he permitted the USA to behave in yet a more monstrous manner.  We should remember this when we watch, Thursday, the sentimental cleansing.”

 

SPAIN:  "Two Years Later:  The Mistakes Of 9/11"

 

Dario Valcarcel judged in conservative ABC (9/11):  "Bush did all he could to divide the Europeans: a strategic mistake which reveals his tendency to calculate only in the very short term.  Powell believes the contrary.  He thinks that on the other side of the table there are capable negotiators.  Bush has never felt respect for the other side of the table....  Thus, Bush has gained the profile of an untrustworthy, secretive, conceited, clumsy, changeable man....  His last move, the proposal to come back to the UN Security Council...will make it difficult for anyone to trust him again....  Bush has confronted a great part of Europe, Asia, America and Africa instead of maintaining the overwhelming supports he had on 9/11."

 

"What 9/11 Brought"

 

Left-of-center El País wrote (9/11):  "The neocons saw in the Bush administration the opportunity to promote their impudent and rash agenda of external changes, to take their aggressive preventive war doctrine with an excuse of self-defense, accompanied by unprecedented spending, and a curtailment of freedoms, to reinforce the imperial tendencies of the U.S.  With distance, its can be seen that the Bush administration has been wrong in the management of this crisis....  After two years, the world is worse off and is more unsafe, faced with the uncertainty of global terrorism and the lack of foresight of what the U.S. can do.  The international community should seriously consider how to combat the causes of the terrorism, that is feed by the misery and fanaticism, without forgetting the effects these causes.  And for that, there is no doubt that U.S. should exercise its leadership and recuperate its better self to obtain it." 

 

SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO:  "What Has Changed?"

 

Pro-government Politika commentator Lazanski judged (9/10):  “Two years ago when Washington went to war against terrorists, it had some coalition partners; today it is clear that there it has hardly any partners, however the number of terrorists have been growing ever since.  A group of apocalyptic nihilists incorporated in a global network of terrorism compose a group of almost ten thousand active terrorists; that is al-Qaida presently.  Two years after the September 11 attack, Washington cannot predict where the next attack would take place, nor can it assure Americans that things are under control....  The American war against terrorism can go on forever.  This is why some wonder if this is a real war, or getting a mandate to expend the U.S. military power.  What is September 11?  An anniversary?  A Remembrance Day, a day of national solidarity, or the day when the Americans feel that they are left alone like in the western movie 'High Noon.'  Has September 11 divided or united the West?  These are only some of the questions that are being asked in the last two years.”

 

TURKEY:  "Not Only A U.S. Responsibility"

 

Sami Kohen wrote in mass-appeal Milliyet (9/12):  “During the last two years, global terrorism has increased despite the U.S.' declared war against terrorism.  The world is no longer a secure place, and remains subject to the threat of terrorism.  Al-Qaida is still operating, and Usama bin Laden is still alive.  The U.S. is living under the threat of a new 9/11.… It is true that the policies shaped by the Bush administration are one of the main reasons for this negative picture.  However, this alone should not make us forget an important reality: Terrorism is a big and serious threat not only to the U.S. but also to the rest of the world.…  At this stage, the whole world should feel responsible for dealing with the terrorism problem by implementing effective and timely measures against it.  Terrorism is an enemy of the whole world, and we never know where and when it will strike.  The fight against terrorism is such a vital issue that it should not be left to the U.S. to deal with it alone.”

 

"September 11:  Two Years Later"

 

Haluk Ulman wrote in the economic-political Dunya (9/12):  “Two years later, the picture we now have does not provide much room for optimism.  The Bush administration began its campaign by arguing that it could eliminate international terrorism and make the world a more secure place to live.  Yet the campaign has been conducted against the rest of the world, and these unilateral policies of the U.S. have not produced any results.  The current situation in both Iraq and Afghanistan, which hints at a broader wave of terrorism, is enough reason to be pessimistic....  Moreover, the allegation about Iraq’s link with international terrorism has not been proved, but Iraq has now been turned into an operational base for terrorists following the U.S. invasion.… One of the most valuable gains after 9/11 could have been the formation of a U.S.-led international coalition against terrorism.  However, the Bush administration has not used this chance--in fact, it has squandered it.”

 

MIDDLE EAST

 

ISRAEL:  "The Other America"

 

Washington correspondent Orly Azolai wrote in mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot (9/10):  "Thursday, America will wrap itself in Stars and Stripes and in sorrow, as it marks the second anniversary of the attacks in official ceremonies.  Two years later, it is mainly confused.  The invincible understand that more than power and stockpiles of smart bombs are needed to win.  Two years later, perhaps for the first time, America is trying to ponder why it happened and whether its response so far was the real answer."

 

"Complete Success, Unfortunately"

 

Nationalist columnist Emuna Elon wrote in mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot (9/10):  "Bush sent the sons of light to war against the sons of darkness immediately after September 11, but it is unclear how the U.S. offensive in Afghanistan influenced the motivation of al-Qaida and similar groups to carry out attacks....  As we know, Saddam Hussein, too, is alive and plotting.  There already is a consensus regarding the ineffectiveness of the American adventure in Iraq.  President Bush is a bold...leader but his kicks into the air no longer are the key element reassuring the Americans regarding a new September 11.  What reassures them much more is the human tendency to repress the scary thought that this will...happen to them again....  If the objective of the attacks was to destabilize the status of the West in the eyes of millions of Muslims, it is regrettably possible to proclaim its utter success.  The world did change that day--irrevocably.  Heaven forbid, that surprise could play a decisive role in the next battle of Islam's war against the U.S. and Europe."

 

WEST BANK:  "9/11"

 

Ahmad Dahbour wrote in official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (9/11):  "The outrageous crime that occurred two years ago, ending the lives of thousands of innocent civilians, should have awakened humanity of the hazards of oppression, humiliation, aggression, extremism and abuse.  However, the ideology of the American-Zionist administration has exploited this crime to punish the entire world and force it to abide by its policies.  Many overzealous countries, especially those involved in the oppression of others, welcomed the American administration’s words and have gone so far as to describe the pursuit of freedom, equality and independence as ‘terrorism.’  It was only natural that the butcher (Israeli PM Sharon) who committed the massacres of Qibya, Khan Younis, Sabra and Shatilla has become a 'peacemaker' shaking hands with the American president to launch a global war that Bush described as a crusade against terrorism....  Today, the world still says ‘no’ to the September 11 crime, but it also says ‘no’ to the demolition of buildings in Beit Lahya, Nablus and Hebron.  They say ‘no’ to the killings committed by a terrorist state, and ‘yes’ to a day we all anticipate living as free human beings.”

 

EGYPT:  "Two Septembers Ago"

 

Pro-government Al Ahram’s senior columnist Salah Montasser wrote (9/11):  “Two full years have passed since the famous September incident and the Afghani and Iraqi regime changes, but strong doubts remain about the elimination of Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.  The irony is furthered when a British minister accuses Saddam of committing the crime of assassinating Shiia leader Al Hakim....  The world has changed since September 11, 2001....  For the first time, we hear of a defensive war and an offensive war....  For the first time since World War II, American-European relations suffer rifts...because of President Bush’s insistence that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction, which American troops have failed to find....  For the first time in the history of the U.S., the country that receives its visitors at the Statue of Liberty, an interior ministry is formed.  This country today watches citizens, especially non-Americans, enters their houses secretly, and summons them for investigation without trial.  Despite all those arrested in Afghanistan (now) in Guantanamo, not a single accused has been brought to trial.  The Afghani regime changed in the first year.  The Iraqi regime changed in the second.  What will happen in the third?”

 

"Remembering September 11"

 

Pro-government Al Ahram’s columnist Mohamed Sid-Ahmed (article also appears in English-language Al Ahram Weekly) wrote (9/11):  "Instead of adopting a holistic approach to the problem, instead of investigating and addressing the deep-rooted causes of the modern scourge of international terrorism, Washington opted for the short-sighted decision to fight fire with fire, to exact revenge for the unacceptable challenge to its global supremacy.  So far, the results of its enterprise have served only to confirm that terrorism has become a greater threat than ever.  The first step in its campaign against terrorism was the war in Afghanistan, which until today cannot be regarded as a conclusive success.  Then came the war on Iraq, which has continued to rage long after it was officially declared over...  It has become more crucial than ever to understand that the key to solving the problem of terrorism lies in eliminating the reasons the phenomenon has acquired such dimensions, which are embedded in the world system itself, and not only in the physical elimination of the terrorists."

 

"On The Second Anniversary Of September 11 Attacks"

 

Aggressive pro-government Al Akhbar’s unsigned editorial opined (9/11):  “Americans feel insecure although two wars were launched against Iraq and Afghanistan.  The position of Americans towards their President has changed and the anger Americans have felt since September 11 greatly subsided after the wars....  Muslims and Arabs were impacted by the war against terrorism, which was being linked to Islam, and the Arab world has come to form a threat to American national security according to the American view....  Americans have grown bored with security warnings...and the economy has become an urgent issue....  The September 11 anniversary in the second year comes with changes in the American climate that threaten Bush’s hopes for winning the upcoming presidential elections.  The Arab and Islamic world should be warned that U.S. prestige depends on success or failure in Iraq.  Bush’s popularity decreased...and 59 percent of New York’s inhabitants believe America’s policy in Iraq and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will make it more liable to attacks similar to September 11.”

 

SAUDI ARABIA:  "War On Terrorism"

 

Jeddah’s English-language pro-government Arab News observed (9/11):  "When President George W. Bush declared his global war on terrorism, backing came from governments around the world.  However, with that backing came warnings that the U.S.-led campaign against al-Qaida and its supporters must be a joint effort....  The fear among America’s friends was that the anti-terror campaign would inflict even greater casualties than the outrage that caused Washington to launch it....  The injustices which the killers use to justify their crimes and extract support cannot be left unaddressed.  The greatest of these injustices is the crime that has been perpetrated for decades by the Israeli Zionists against the Palestinians.  As long as America supports brutal Zionist repression with one hand, it will be pumping air into the lungs of terrorism even while with the other Washington is trying to strangle it."

 

"War On Terrorism"

 

Jeddah’s English-language Saudi Gazette (9/11):  "The U.S. must rethink its policy against terrorism....  America's aim is to at least reduce, check and control terrorism if its complete elimination is difficult.  The world is with the U.S. in this endeavor.  However, the U.S. should revise its policy so as to minimize the threat to the world.  This can be done in cooperation with all other victims of global terrorism."

 

JORDAN:  "Still Questions Remain"

   

The independent, English-language elite Jordan Times declared (9/11):  "That the terrorism that struck at the U.S. continues to be perpetrated around the world suggests that either no lessons were properly learned or the manner with which the threat was and is being handled is woefully inadequate....  Was it an act of desperation, revenge or settling scores that motivated the perpetrators?  There are still many people who carry out the same kind of acts, albeit on a smaller scale but just as sinister scale....  The war on terrorism cannot and will not succeed till we know more about the psyche of people who go to the extent of paying the ultimate price to send a message to the world.  One thing is clear: The terrorist attacks are not about a clash of civilizations or religions.  There are always, however, minorities among all faiths and ideologies who take it upon themselves to interpret their beliefs in a manner that suits their own interests....  Such potentially violent minorities need to be better understood and they need to be encouraged to seek peaceful means of settling crises, disputes and conflicts....  The process of dialogue is often hampered, sometimes by both sides.  But the process requires understanding, contact and dialogue.  Meanwhile, the world continues to mourn the innocent people killed in the devastating attacks in New York, Washington, and elsewhere in the world."

 

LEBANON:  "9/11: Two Years"

 

An editorial by Ali Hamade in moderate, anti-Syrian An-Nahar held (9/11):  “The Americans retaliated for the 9/11 attacks by launching a war on Afghanistan then Iraq.  The propaganda that was being disseminated by Washington depicted the war as a civil war against backwardness and radicalism.  However, we discovered that the war against the two countries is still incomplete.  In Afghanistan, there are still vast areas outside the control of the current Government of Afghanistan.  As for Iraq, everyone knows that the war now is tougher than before, and that the Americans are losing every single day....  Two years after 9/11, we can conclude the following fact: A world war is approaching and the United States is drowning in its own vortex.  This means that the U.S. does not have the ability to lead itself or others and consequently cannot ensure any future results.“

 

MOROCCO:  "The World Mustn't Remain A Hostage At The Hands Of Extremists"

 

Abdelhamid Jamahri commented in government coalition Arabic-language Al Ittihad Al Ishtiraki (9/11):  "The Twin center towers in New York collapsed and the world's image has changed.  The world is not like it was before black September 11, 2001.  The most notable outcome of that tragedy was the fall of two countries under siege: Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the departure of two regimes that had served as a pretext for imposing U.S. hegemony on the world.  Meanwhile, the Arabs' number one issue, Palestine, has reached a difficult turning point....  U.S. folly has woken up another folly; the extremist line of the U.S. administration in Washington has prevailed and, thus, the hawks, or the so-called the princes of darkness in the U.S. administration, are no different from other extremists....  Two years have passed since September 11 where thousands of innocents were killed in New York and Washington, but also other innocents were killed in Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh and Bali."

 

OMAN:  "Time For Introspection"

 

The pro-government English-language Times of Oman opined (9/11):  "True, America has not suffered any significant attack in the past two years, but that does not in any way betoken the extirpation of terrorism from the world....  It would do a great deal of good for the U.S. administration to analyze why the surge of sympathy, which it received from practically all nations of the world following the tragedy, has evaporated....  The administration has used the horrific events to advance its unilateralist agenda....  There are growing fears that the Iraq war has created a more dangerous situation.  It is perhaps more important to sit back and think about what prompts the people to carry out attacks, and in several cases sacrifice their lives in the process.  For example, why is it that the world cannot do anything to release the Palestinian people from the shackles of Israel?  Justice demands that the Israelis end the occupation....  If the second anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy somehow prompts the international community, not least the U.S. administration, to introspect a bit and make up its mind to address the untold sufferings of a certain section of the world population, our planet would be a better place to live in." 

 

TUNISIA:  "What’s Happening To The World?"

 

A commentary by editor-in-chief Chokri Baccouche in independent French-language newspaper Le Quotidien stated (9/11):  "Wounded both in flesh and pride, America, at the peak of its power, reacted [to 9/11] with unprecedented violence.  The only way to react to this crime: war....  In the name of a new concept--preventative conflict--a pure product of the shifty unbridled imagination of the neo-conservatives and the Bush administration, Iraq was sacrificed on the altar of U.S. hegemony.… The horrible specter of colonialism that we had thought banished was born from the ashes thanks to the U.S. version of a new world order.… Two years after 9/11, the U.S. has unfortunately not learned the lesson of the recent past.  Not knowing how to get out of this very dangerous quagmire, the U.S. seems to opt for moving forward."

 

UAE:  "Two Years On And Terror Still Stalks"

 

The Dubai-based pro-government English-language Gulf News held (9/11):  "In response to this crime against humanity Washington launched its open-ended global war on terror.  But terror has not been eradicated and Washington's stridency in following a partisan, hawkish definition of what constitutes terror (Israel seems to be able to act with impunity) has alienated much of the goodwill felt towards the Bush presidency in the aftermath of September 11....  Security, in all walks of life, is a prime concern....  However, two years hence the world is not a safer place and America's war on terror has not been a resounding success.  Osama bin Laden remains free, Saddam Hussein not in any way implicated in the attacks on America, has been toppled, without any evidence of WMD....  Violence and death stalk Iraq, America is struggling to come up with a coherent Middle East policy, divisions, deep, stark, divisions remain in the United Nations as to how this war should be conducted.  The world may be united in tackling terror but just how to tackle it remains contentious....  The world is a more jittery place, less confident than before.  The conduct of any war requires certain goals, certain criteria and benchmarks to gauge its success.  Washington's war seems too partisan in its conduct and targets to measure up successfully against such criteria."

 

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

 

AUSTRALIA:  "Australia Remembers"

 

The popular tabloid Daily Telegraph stated (9/11):  “Two years ago a new date--September 11--sparked a torrent of emotion and shock which turned finally to anguish and then to outrage.  The world's foundations are still unsteady as the aftershocks of that catastrophe continue to echo.  It is no exaggeration to suggest that since that dreadful day when the cloth of civilization was torn violently across, a world war has raged--the war against terrorism....  We mark the day also by looking forward with determination and conviction that those who perpetrate acts of terror can find no sanctuary when people of good heart oppose them....  We look forward also to the future, knowing that our beliefs in freedom, tolerance and human fellowship remain steady.  For they, too, are set in the stones of our history.”

 

"September 11:  A New Epoch, Born In Fire"

 

The national conservative Australian opined (9/11):  “If, as The Australian has argued repeatedly, the root cause of this strain of terrorism is a fascistic rejection of the values of the liberal society--values like tolerance, multiculturalism, equality of race and gender, and religious and political freedom--then the attacks were well targeted.  After all, New York represents those values, not necessarily better, but on a larger scale than any other city in the world....  There is no relenting in the war on terror--the names of the 10 Australians killed two years ago remind us of that.  By keeping the pressure on the terrorists, we ensure they consume their energies in evasion and flight, rather than further outrages.  By promoting peace, prosperity and democracy in the crucible of Islamist terrorism, the Middle East, we starve them of support and resources.  And by reaffirming at every opportunity--not just in what we say, but in what we do--the liberal values they detest and fear, we signal they can never succeed.  It will be a tragedy if we bequeath to our children a war on terror that we have still not managed to win, but that would be as nothing compared with handing them a world in which terror had achieved its ends.”

 

"The Terror Still Two Years On"

 

The liberal Sydney Morning Herald declared (9/11):  “The attacks on New York and Washington were stunning blows at the very heart of the U.S. and were powerfully symbolic.  The response to them was bound to be different from any before.  The hard question after two years is whether all that has been done in response to these atrocities and in the name of fighting terrorism has really helped secure peace.  Despite military triumphs, the U.S. is no more secure than before.  Required [is a]...difficult diplomatic effort to remove the cause of terrorism by persuading the nations of the Muslim world--where terrorism is spawned--that their interests lie in cooperation, not conflict, with the West.  That, in the end, is what the war on terrorism means.  And, as is now clearer than ever, it has never been a task for the U.S. alone.”

 

CHINA:  "The Road To World Peace Is Not Peaceful"

 

Wang Zaibang opined in the official Communist Party-run People's Daily (Renmin Ribao) (9/11):  "For the past two years, the scope of terror attacks and counter-terror attacks has grown.  On the one hand, international anti-terror battles have made certain achievements....  On the other hand, international terror attacks have become more rampant....  Along with the growth in of both terror attacks and counter-terror attacks, the great powers all started to adjust their security strategies at different levels, which has led to the simultaneous development of international anti-terror cooperation and a traditional arms-race, and increased instability in the international security situation....  It is the U.S.' blatant intention to construct a 'new empire' that has harmed severely the interests of other powerful countries, which has resulted in a glaring conflict between the unipolar and multipolar.  It has blocked major countries from enhancing strategic mutual trust."

 

CHINA (HONG KONG SAR):  "Peace Would Be A Fitting Legacy Of September 11"

 

The independent English-language South China Morning Post commented (9/11):  "The sense of horror and outrage invoked by the images of September 11 has not faded with time.  Two years on, the sight of those airliners crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center has not lost its capacity to shock.  But as we remember the 3,044 people who lost their lives that day, our thoughts should be dominated by the quest for peace, rather than any desire for vengeance....  The attacks on the U.S. did indeed rouse the mighty giant Mr. Bush spoke of at the time.  But the world's only remaining superpower must realize that the with us or against us approach, and in particular the further use of aggression, will only fuel the hatred which motivated the attacks in the first place.  Winning the hearts and minds of moderate Muslims by helping to address the social, political and religious issues that give rise to terrorism is the key....  Taking steps to secure a more peaceful world would be the best way to commemorate the victims of September 11."

 

"Counter-Terrorism Is Catching On Like Fire, The World Becomes More Unsafe"

 

Independent Chinese-language Hong Kong Economic Journal contended (9/11):  "The U.S. administration is resolute in smashing terrorists.  However, the world is not any safer after two counter-terrorism wars.  On the contrary, sporadic but fatal terrorist activities continue, wave after wave.  The whole world is shrouded in the shadow of terrorist attacks....  Apart from the military and economic prices the American people have paid for countering terrorism, the anti-terrorism law--the Patriot Act, has also negatively affected their human rights and freedom....  The U.S. and even the whole world are paying the price for fighting terrorism.  The question is: after paying these prices, is the world any safer?"

 

JAPAN:  "World Needs Courage And Patience To Fight Terrorism"

 

Top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized (9/11):  "Today marks the second anniversary of the 9/11 simultaneous terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center buildings and the Pentagon.  Although the impact of 9/11 appears to have lessened, a recent U.S. poll that showed about 60 percent of Americans are concerned about another massive terrorist attack.  According to the survey, three out of four Americans consider the world about 10 times more terrorism-prone than 10 years ago.  During the past one year or so, massive acts of terrorism were reported in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the world.  The international community needs greater courage and patience to fight terrorism and win this war.  Japan also has to play a more positive role in creating a terrorism-free and safe world by continuing logistical support for the U.S.-led anti-terrorism campaign in Afghanistan and sending SDF troops to Iraq."

 

"A War That Cannot Eradicate Terrorism"

 

Liberal Asahi observed (9/11):  "During the past two years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the world has witnessed the U.S.-led war on terrorism that toppled the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Saddam Hussein in Iraq.  Although the Afghan interim government has launched national reconstruction, the situation in post-Saddam Iraq is taking a turn for the worse with a sharp rise in ambush-style or terrorist-style attacks on U.S. and British peacekeepers....  With a rise in Iraqis' frustrations over their country's postwar...chaos, there are even concerns that Iraq could become a new 'hotbed' of terrorists.  There is also a continuing sense of hatred among poverty-stricken Palestinians toward what they call a U.S. attempt to control the world by force....  The world community is still at a loss over what to do to fight and defeat terrorism.  The U.S. used massive force to win two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq but has been unable to win the war on terror."

 

INDONESIA:  "WTC Tragedy At Two Years"

 

Islamic-oriented Pelita observed (9/12):  “Two years have passed.  Countries with citizens falling victim of the tragedy will of course not forget this tragedy, even less the families of the victims of the so-called 9/11 tragedy....  After the 9/11 tragedy, Indonesia also had a similar incident.  Legian in Bali exploded 13 months after the incident in the U.S., claming more than 200 lives, most of them were Australians.  The two incidents were almost identical, both with terrifying explosions with lots of victims.  But the difference is that the perpetrators of the WTC attacks have been uncovered.  The Bali bombing actors have been captured and are now facing trial.”

 

"The World Is Commemorating Two Years Of September 11th Tragedy"

 

Leading independent Kompas commented (9/11):  "Nervousness and deep fear still prevail within the hearts and thoughts of the world community although that spectacular terrorist attacks in the United States occurred two years ago.  The shock over the attacks to the heart of the U.S. has not vanished....  The September 11 suicide attacks were indeed beyond the reach of anyone’s wildest imagination.  The attacks, which claimed the lives of thousands of people instantly, were a combination of expertise at nautical technology and braveness to carry out the self-destructive acts with full consciousness....  The level of vulnerability of each country against terrorist acts is relatively equal.  Thus, unity of all countries in the world in the campaign against terrorism is badly needed.  All countries and nations should be involved in an integrated war on terrorism, which is a crime against humanity....  The campaign against terrorism seems to be loosening, especially after the U.S. and Britain attacked Iraq without regard to the world’s opinions.  The world has been disappointed and has lost its concentration in the war against terrorism.”

 

MALAYSIA:  "Remembering 9/11"

 

Columnist Awang Selamat commented in government-influenced, Malay language daily Berita Harian (9/12):  "What happened on September 11 changed the world.  People are frightened to fly, to travel--they are just frightened.  Non-Caucasians are viewed differently in the West.  Muslims are treated with suspicion till today.  Two years have passed but the world is still not at peace.  Many other September 11 tragedies have occurred, though never as terrible as the attack on the World Trade Center.  But that is enough to keep us frightened.  Will the world see peace on September 11 next year?  If the embers of hate and revenge keep burning, we will still all be living in fear."

 

"Bush’s Revenge Has Cost More Than 10,000 Lives."

 

Government-influenced Malay-language Berita Harian editorialized (9/11):  "Two years after the September 11 attacks, the U.S. has failed in its war against terrorism and instead values more its abilities to force other nations to its political will.  The anti-U.S. sentiment now grows because of the arrogance and extreme measures being taken by the U.S.  There is a question of the definition of terrorists when it comes to the U.S.  We do not mean to support any radicals who commit crimes in the name of religion, but the U.S. has been acting with more violence than some of the groups they have termed ‘terrorists’."

 

PHILIPPINES:  "A Persistent Threat"

 

The independent Philippine Star said (9/11):  “The attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001 opened the eyes of the world...and the international community prepared a concerted response....  But still the world can hardly be called a safer place....  This trend will continue until the world can deal substantially with the root causes of violent extremism.  One is ignorance that breeds intolerance.  Another is poverty with its concomitant despair that terrorists exploit for recruitment.”

 

SINGAPORE:  "9/11: Two Years After"

 

The pro-government Straits Times editorialized (9/12):  "Even two years later, the horror remains horrifying....  Suddenly, all the prophets of doom who had warned of terrorist organizations getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction and using them, did not seem to be exaggerating....  In the Bush administration's sanguine pre-war planning, Iraq was to be America's beachhead in the transformation of Arab culture....  Instead, the world is now faced with the ghastly possibility of Iraq becoming a magnet for jihadists.  If they, not the U.S., were to establish a beachhead in the country, terror networks throughout the world will receive a boost.  For that reason, whatever some of America's allies and friends may have thought of the war, it is in everyone's interests now to ensure that Iraq does not acquire the wrong kind of demonstration effect on Muslim public opinion....  Ultimately, terrorism will only be defeated when the cultures and polities that breed it are transformed.  Work on that front--which must, perforce, be performed by Muslims themselves and their leaders--has hardly begun."

 

THAILAND:  "Where Should The U.S. Go Now?"

 

The independent, English-language Nation commented (9/11):  “Two years on from the September 11 terrorist attacks, the pre-eminent position of the United States is in question more than ever before....  U.S. President George W. Bush’s war on terrorism still has the world deeply divided, not least because of the uncertainties and dangers that have been created by the invasion of Iraq....  The September 11 attack on the U.S. was probably the single most spectacular terrorism action in modern times.  It yielded an unprecedented outpouring of sympathy around the globe.  Washington’s retaliation against the Taliban in Afghanistan, therefore, was considered justified.  But sympathy has dissipated over Iraq, especially given the failure to locate weapons of mass destruction....  While the U.S. has yet to learn from its mistakes, it must learn to be more humble in order to gain respect from the rest of the world.  That means conceding some control to the UN in Iraq and being more consistent with its policies against regimes it regards as ‘completely evil’ or ‘acceptably evil.’”

 

VIETNAM:  "Eliminating Terrorism By The Roots"

 

Manh Tuong wrote in army-run Quan Doi Nhan Dan (9/11):  "Two years after the tragic September 11 events...eliminating terrorism from the world's political life and preventing it from having a place in the civilized world have become a global urgent matter....  But two years after the September 1 events...instead of moving toward joint efforts to eliminate terrorism by the roots globally, the U.S. has increasingly turned to isolationism and unilateralism, clearly seen in its actions....  Combating terrorism should not be a unilateral action, rather, that must be joint efforts of the whole international community.  Combating terrorism must be under the principle of respect for the UN Charter, international law and the sovereignty of a country....  The fight against terrorism cannot solely rely on military measures.  Terrorism can only be stopped and eliminated when its roots are eliminated, which are oppression, injustice, invasion, and racial, religious and cultural  discrimination....  The world will be more peaceful if poverty and instability, which are the land for terrorism, are eliminated by efforts such as increasing aid from rich countries for poor and developing countries."

 

SOUTH  ASIA

 

INDIA:  "September 11, 2001 To September 8, 2003"

 

Columnist Lata Raje wrote in the Mumbai edition of centrist Nava Shakti (9/12):  “The brutal 9/11 attacks further led to two wars, first in Afghanistan, followed by Iraq.  However, neither Osama Bin Laden nor Saddam Hussein, who are prime suspects, have been traced so far.  Around 650 other suspects, allegedly involved in the 9/11 plan, are imprisoned.  The majority of these suspects are either aligned to Pakistan or have some connection with that country.  The American Congress and citizens too have asked their government to declare Pakistan a ‘state sponsor of terrorism.’  However, the Bush administration has pampered Pakistan by showering it with financial assistance and loans."

 

"Stopping 9/11s"

 

An editorial in the nationalist Hindustan Times (9/11):  “It's a matter of grave concern that the second anniversary of 9/11 will be regarded with fear all around the world, for this means that terrorism still remains the menace it was two years ago....  Indeed, it can be argued that the roots of terror have been strengthened since that fateful attack on the twin towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington....  Driven by an irrational belief in the supremacy of their creed, and by an equally mindless feeling of grievance against the West, and particularly the U.S., scores of young men have been indoctrinated by their bigoted mentors in the philosophy of hate.  As a result, no part of the world is safe....  Nor is there any foolproof antidote since heavy-handed action against the perceived ‘enemies of civilization’ can be counter productive, as Iraq has shown.  Undertaken in the belief that there are clandestine links between Iraq and al-Qaida, the war has turned that country into another epicenter of terrorism....  Only by infiltrating into the terrorist cells will it be possible to neutralize them and make the world safe enough so that the third anniversary of 9/11 is not an occasion of fear but of quiet celebration.”

 

"The 9/11 Moment"

 

An editorial in the centrist Indian Express asserted (9/11):  “This anniversary is an apt moment to remember the hundreds and thousands who perished, and continue to perish, in heinous acts of terror.  It is also time to take stock of an America-led endeavor announced then to make the world a safer place.  Two aspects of that project stand out.  One, the war against this new kind of terror was to be founded on international cooperation.  Two, the war was not to be against a state or a people; it was against rage....  After September 11, a sense of common purpose held through the invasion of Afghanistan.  As America’s war of terror, however, took a westward turn to Iraq, it rapidly dissipated.  At one level, this highlights the U.S.’s isolation today....  The current crisis in managing Iraq after the war...throws light on the need for reform in international institutions charged with maintaining peace and security....  Bio-datas to new recruits to terrorism include a new variant: well-educated youth...willing to cede their opportunities to register indignation at their community’s marginalization.  Defusing this, sometimes inchoate, rage is a 9/11 challenge that is still to be fully met.”

 

PAKISTAN:  "Life After 9/11"

 

Shafqat Mahmood observed in the centrist national English daily The News (9/12):  "Something obviously is wrong with the U.S. strategy to fight terror if it wins the battles but loses the war....  I also mean it in a larger sense of winning hearts and minds.  The Bush administration’s strategy of fighting this war on 'terror' has turned the people of the Muslim world against it and this cannot be good....  The United States needs to review its strategy of fighting the war against terror.  Yes, it has enemies and it needs to and should defend itself but there are ways of going about it that are less threatening to others.  In particular, it needs to take a hard look at its blind support for Israel.  Nothing will change its image towards the positive in the Muslim world than an even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.   Otherwise, it will keep winning battles but these victories will be temporary and hollow.  If it wants to avoid a global conflict of civilizations, it must be just and fair.  That is the only behavior suitable for the most pre-eminent power in the world."

 

"11 September:  Who Took The Advantage"

 

An editorial in the Karachi-based, right-wing pro-Islamic unity Jasarat held (9/12):  "This thought is gaining currency that the United States itself staged the 9/11 drama to achieve its nefarious designs.  In case of any criminal activity the first thing that is ascertained is that who is going to benefit from this incident?  The major beneficiaries of the destruction of Twin Towers are the United States and its Jews.  First of all Afghanistan was occupied and later Iraq was destroyed.  Above all Islam and the Muslims were brought to disrepute world over. The 9/11 drama was staged to punish the Muslims.  The Zionists have fully benefited from this incident in it that the world attention has diverted from their atrocities in Palestine to this incident.  Now Iraq is also being made a safe sanctuary of Jews.  Seeing this all, one could easily decide who actually hit the World Trade Center."

 

"September 11 And Its Implications"

 

Lahore-based independent Urdu-language Din observed (9/11):  "Now the situation is that the wounded lion is after injuring everyone in the jungle.  After 9/11 a change has occurred in the international relations structure; the UN charter has become secondary, the first place having been given to U.S. led 'war against terrorism.'  The 9/11 events have made America a hunter on a hunting spree on the globe, especially the Muslim world."

 

AFRICA

 

SOUTH AFRICA:  "September 11, 2001"

 

Pro-government, Afro-centric Sowetan commented (9/11):  "Today the world will remember the sad events of this day....  Ever since the attacks, the world has been split about how to deal with the scourge of international terrorism.  America's president George Bush, who is looking more and more like a one-term president, is going into an election convinced that brutal force is the only way of dealing with terror.  And he will stop at nothing to fight it....  So as the world remembers what happened on this day, spare a thought for the non-human victims of 9/11--such as multilateralism....  The supremacy of the UN must be reasserted.  And unilateralism...must be condemned.  Peace-loving nations, particularly those in the developing world, need a stronger international governance system....  If 9/11 is to be confined to memory, the world's efforts to fight terror must be redoubled.  But global security cannot be secured through the force of a reckless superpower pretending to be the world's sheriff.  This has to be a collective effort."

 

"9/11 And The Long War"

 

Balanced Business Day declared (9/11):  "Two years on from the sight of the collapsing twin towers, it is clear that the war on terror is full of failure.  It is likely to be a very long one....  The belated high-level recognition that the war on terror was given in the US is only one of the failures of the campaign so far....  Perhaps the most serious failure has been the inability to win the hearts and minds of moderate Muslims....  In much of the Muslim world, because of the close U.S. alliance with Israel, the war on terror is perceived as an anti-Muslim campaign....  This failure...is despite the contradiction that the leaders of the groups, which send the young on suicide missions, do not go themselves or send their own sons and daughters.  That alone indicates the strength of the nihilist cult with which the world is faced.  A clear failure...has been that...Osama bin Laden and some of his associates are still at large....  And there are ominous signs that al-Qaida is intent on using shoulder-fired missiles and biological weapons....  We cannot sit back in complacency in this global war because we are not an obvious target.  That could so easily change."

 

GHANA:  "The September 11 Attack And Its Aftermath"

 

Independent, urban bi-weekly Crusading Guide editorialized (9/11):  “Though there was a global condemnation of September 11, a sober reflection should lead us to examine why the active participants in that horrendous act chose to die that way to fulfill a mission.  America's role in the trouble spots on the globe especially the Middle East needs an honest examination....  America’s election of itself as the overseer of all therefore should not be in terms of protecting its interests only, but actually pursuing justice no matter where and thus creating a world where all will live in peace....  Effects of September 11 will stay with us for a long time.  September 11 is a warning to all of us especially America to revise its foreign policy and make it friendly to all inhabitants of the earth without discrimination otherwise we are sitting on a time bomb whose explosion and destruction will surpass that of September 11.”

 

KENYA:  "So, Is The World Any Safer?'

 

Independent left-of-center Nation (9/12):  "Yet two years since September 11,  there is little evidence that American military actions have made the world any safer.  Both Osama and Saddam remain at large and probably capable of attracting even more fanatical supporters outraged by U.S. Globocop presumptions.  Neither Afghanistan nor Iraq has been entirely pacified.  Instead they serve as magnets for global Islamic anger against the U.S.  Indeed, the U.S. seemingly faces the danger of getting bogged down in a Vietnam-like quagmire in both countries.  Terrorism, true, must be fought aggressively and with all available resources.  We, in Kenya, know this very well.  We have twice recently been victims of those who could indiscriminately spill innocent blood in pursuit of their cause.  But the international war against global terrorism can be effective only by global means; not by a gung-ho unilateralist approach which treats with contempt all other countries and institutions like the UN.”

 

NIGERIA:  "Two Years After 9/11"

 

The privately owned, independent Post commented (9/11):  "A few days after September 11, two years ago, we carried an editorial comment in which we stated:  There are many governments going around trying to flatter the United States and confusing its leaders over how to deal with last week's [September 11, 2001] terrorist tragedy, hoping for favors....  Clearly, the only advisable thing for the leaders of the United States to do is to calmly and courageously seek for a definitive solution to terrorism and other tragedies, by universal consensus....  It is clear...none of the problems affecting today's world can be solved with the use of force, there's no global, technological or military power that can guarantee total immunity against such acts, because they are carried out by suicidal people....  We expressed these views almost two years ago, but...we think our observations are still valid today and can be reiterated and deserve some consideration.  We can today still state with some conviction that none of the world's problems--not even terrorism--can be solved with the use of force, and every act of force, every imprudent action that entails the use of force anywhere would seriously aggravate the world problems.  The way is neither the use of force nor war."

 

TANZANIA:  "We Need To Have The Right Attitude Towards War Against Terrorism"

 

Kiswahili-language trusted tabloid Mwananchi noted (9/11):  "Today is September 11, a day for remembering the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center....  It is a day, which reminds us that we are not safe from such acts and how important cooperation between members of the international community in fighting global terrorism is.  But it is also a day that reminds us of the need to have a new attitude towards the problems confronting poor countries.  Developed and rich countries should not close their eyes to these immense problems.  Since September 11, the U.S. has taken the leading role in the fight against global terrorism, as well as making efforts to involve other countries, including African countries....  American attitudes towards other countries, especially towards the Arab world, have to a certain extent provoked terrorist activities against that country.  The lack of a solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and America’s continued support for Israel are just some of the factors that encourage terrorism.  We realize that there is a need for the whole world to fight against terrorism, for it is a threat to world peace.  So the rich and more powerful countries should change their attitude towards the weaker countries.  We all have only this one world; if it is destroyed, we shall all perish.”

 

"U.S. Messing Up Its War Against Terrorism"

 

Habari Corporation-owned Kiswahili-language weekly tabloid Rai commented (9/11):  "There are very few people that were not saddened, appalled and even angered by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks....  However...Bush’s administration has lost a huge portion of the international support he initially enjoyed....  All the steps he has taken so far in the fight against terrorism have helped foster enmity against America and its people.  In Afghanistan, the U.S. started ignoring that country the moment the Taliban regime was removed from power....  No one needs to be told about American bullying tactics in Iraq...justifications for the war in Iraq were based on false premises....  In the Middle East, Bush’s policies make it clear that he is not serious about fighting terrorism....  In principle, the roadmap plan is dead and has already been buried....  The people of East Africa have even a more important justification to reject the Bush administration’s policies in the fight against terrorism....  Instead of supporting us...the Bush administration has been busy issuing travel advisories warning its citizens not to travel to this region.  This has adversely affected our tourism industry.  Does the Bush administration really expect us to continue supporting its war against terrorism, when this war is being used to harm us economically?....  Even as we join Americans in remembering the victims who lost their lives two years ago, we hope the Bush administration will rectify its policies, so that they are not also perceived to be comparable to those of terrorism.”

 

UGANDA:  "There Are Lessons To Learn From 9/11"

 

The government-owned New Vision argued (9/11):  "With two countries--Afghanistan and Iraq--wasted and millions of people killed is the world safer today than it was before 9/11?  The overwhelming answer is no.  So who has benefited from The War Against Terrorism?  George Bush is the first beneficiary.  Having come to power under dubious circumstances, he is sponging off the dead of 9/11 and adding more macabre value by the number of Afghans and Iraqis that his occupying army can kill.  At a personal level ordinary Americans are no less clearer why their country is so much loathed by the rest of the world and are more frightened than ever.  Having been brought up on a diet of American invincibility, 9/11 has tragically brought them back to earth.  But instead of asking why does the world hate us, they should ask themselves--do we love the rest of the world?"

 

"U.S. Mired In Quicksand"

 

Commentary in the government-owned New Vision held (Internet version, 9/10):  "America has lost almost all of the goodwill and sympathy it garnered in the immediate aftermath of 11 September....  There are a lot more groups now clamoring to get a piece of America than ever before....  So as Americans prepare to mark the second anniversary of 11 September, many will be wondering why America, which clearly had the sympathy of the entire world when the terrible deed happened...is now the hated giant.  Many Americans will quietly note that something happened on the way to Kabul and Baghdad and that America lost its bearing--it forgot what the war was about and seemed to use the event of 11 September as an excuse to settle old scores.  Moreover, many especially European nations who saw in America's determination to invade Iraq an ill-concealed economic aggression, will avert their faces to hide a gleeful 'I-told-you-so' grin.  As they say in Texas, you get what you asked for."

 

WESTERN HEMISPHERE

 

CANADA:  "America Struggles With A 9/11 World"

 

The liberal Toronto Star opined (9/11):  "[A]s Americans collectively struggle to adjust to a post-9/11 world, the world must adjust, too, for the empty place in America's heart has been filled with a coldness that has sent a chill around the globe.  Under U.S. President George Bush, American soldiers have fought a necessary war in Afghanistan to smash the terror-friendly Taliban regime and al-Qaida and an unwarranted one in Iraq to smash Saddam Hussein.  Together, those wars claimed 10,000 lives or more, and cost $150 billion.  Few would attempt to predict where the Marines may land next.  Moreover, few Americans much care that Bush's disdain for the UN and its treaties unsettles the rest of the world.  Not to mention his zeal to refight the Gulf War with Iraq, his bullying of allies, his sabre-rattling toward North Korea and Iran and his pre-emptive strike policy.  Most of the world are not targets.  Americans are--and that makes all the difference to Bush and his supporters....  And despite America's vow to hold the perpetrators of 9/11 to account, Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar remain on the loose as their sympathizers regroup, plant bombs and sow fear.  Nor is Baghdad likely to be the end of the post-9/11 road....  For Canada and other allies, this girding by American policy-makers for a perpetual struggle poses an ongoing challenge."

 

"Day Of Grieving"

 

Editorialist Julie Lemieux wrote in the centrist Le Soleil of Montreal (9/11):  "Let’s leave aside politics, disputes, denunciations and in-depth analysis of the impact of September 11, 2001 on America and the world....  Beyond the political changes and power struggles engendered by September 11 are hidden human dramas of such dimension that we have the duty of never forgetting September 11....  Large scars remain but hope is resurfacing again according to New York journalists who interviewed the bereaved families."

 

"The Fall"

 

Editorialist Mario Roy commented in Montreal's centrist La Presse (9/11):  "This air attack did more than kill human beings, it killed a certain conception of living in society, of the differences that we always thought were obvious between things that are done and things that are simply not done....   But with only two years, an infinitely short time in historical terms, to look back on, the American state did not react properly.  As much as the cleanup--largely failed--in Afghanistan was necessary, the invasion of Iraq has tipped the world into a chaos no one needed.  It deeply divided the West, at a time when solidarity was of the utmost importance, it weakened the UN which was already in poor health and it has fed in every corner of the world including among the United States’ best friends an anti-American sentiment which has now reached the state of pure hatred."

 

ARGENTINA:  "Terrorism, Two Years Later"

 

An editorial in leading Clarin read (9/11):  "Two years ago, terrorism brutally established itself as the main threat to international peace and unleashed the combat readiness of the U.S....  Security and war on terrorism become priority issues....  The U.S.' unilateral exercise of power, even surpassing the UN Security Council, damaged multilateral relations and the U.S.' traditional alliances with Europe and other states....  Two years after the September 11 attacks, the world is not safer and the U.S. has started to know the limits of its ability in facing a threat that calls for more efficient mechanisms for prevention and conflicts deactivation and for a better understanding of its causes, not only of its lethal effects."

 

"Two Years Away From The Attack"

 

An editorial in business-financial El Cronista held (9/11):  "Two years ago, the world's history changed dramatically although not many are aware of this change.  The 'clash of civilizations' announced by Samuel Huntington took place....  The massacre divided the world between those who believe that everything is allowed in order to defend an idea...and those who believe that civilization should be determinedly defended but excluding terrorist methods.  And this rule should be applied to countries of the East and the West, including the United States.  The people of the world...first witnessed the cowardly attack on the U.S. civilian people and, after that, the bloody invasion of Iraq....  If one can draw any lesson from the September 11 attacks is that the best way to beat terrorism is through the daily work of a society fighting for the ideals of freedom, equity and justice....  The road of terrorism, either from the state or guerrillas, will only spark more pain."

 

BRAZIL:  "The Greatest Tragedy After 9/11 Is The U.S.'s Isolationism"

 

Business-oriented Valor Economico editorialized (9/11):  "The 9/11 greatest tragedy is the fact that the Bush administration has used the disgrace that affected thousands of Americans as a justification to exert an unilateral, despotic and ignorant foreign policy that is leading the U.S. towards an unprecedented isolationism....  Due to U.S. arrogance, international terrorism has strengthened instead of diminishing....  Xenophobic and discriminatory sentiments that will certainly weaken and impoverish U.S. society have spread throughout the nation.  Liberties and civil rights that made the U.S. the most admired nation in the 20th Century are at stake....  However, the unquestionable failure of the occupation in Iraq and the increasing indignation of representative sectors of U.S. society in regards to the course the current administration is imposing on the U.S. are forcing Bush to recognize that he needs the help of the international community to get rid of the enormous mess in which he has involved his nation."

 

"A World That Is Worse"

 

Liberal Folha de Sao Paulo editorialized (9/11):  "Two years after 9/11 the fight against terrorism is still the focus of the international community.  Although the tragedy--which in a way unveiled the 21st century--did not become a prelude to the Third World War as many expected in the hours and days following the attacks, it ignited a series of actions by the biggest power in the planet.  The consequences [of such actions], which are still taking place, put to test the foundations of the shaky multilateralism that was trying to be built with the UN as a mediator....  Under the command of a president, George W. Bush, who found in the war an opportunity to strengthen the fragile legitimacy he obtained in the ballots, the U.S. did not hesitate to create trouble with Europe, bringing out an open and unprecedented opposition from France and Germany....  In a short period of time the USG managed to turn upside down the support [it had received after the tragedy] and to sow an anti-American sentiment all around the world....  The terrorist obscurantism seems to be reaching its goals.  The conflicts in the Middle East have worsened, and the world has become more insecure, less united and less democratic."

 

MEXICO:  "September 11"

 

Lucrecia Santibañez asserted in independent El Norte (9/10):  "Two years after the September 11 tragedy, we know the world has changed, what we don’t know is if it's for the better.  A superficial analysis of current policy reveals that, sadly, the world is not more secure, fair, or less painful following 9/11.  We are a world more frightened, led by an aggressive giant who demands an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or even more.  Two years after...and we still don’t know who has the lead in this contest to win, or at least tie the game and avoid defeat.  Osama Bin Laden is still free, Afghanistan is barely under control, Iraq is a real problem, and Bush has requested billions more dollars from Congress, risking a fall into an even larger deficit than expected, so as not to halt his Iraqi adventure in shameful disaster.  The collective psyche of the U.S. developed a sense of identity and unity that it didn’t have before the attacks, and one can argue that that was an achievement.'"

 

CHILE:  "U.S. Still Struggles With The Legacy Of The Attacks"

 

Financial El Diario asserted (9/11):  "There are many signs that Americans want to move forward....  In New York the recent blackout was received with relative calm and in the Midwest and on the West Coast discussions centered more around unemployment and health than on the possibility of another terrorist attack.  Even in D.C. things have changed.  Democrats and Republicans are no longer slaves to the terrorist war declared by President Bush, and, as the presidential election approaches, the President himself is more vulnerable than last year....  Nevertheless the memories of 9/11 persist....  The debate on the future of what will be built at Ground Zero is still open...and there is the yet-unanswered question about the compensation to the families of the victims....  But nothing should distract from the importance of what is remembered today.  It is another opportunity for Americans to come together as a nation that is willing to remember its victims, but determined to look forward to the future rather than to a sad past."

 

COLOMBIA:  "September 11 Twice"

 

The leading editorial in top national El Tiempo asserted (9/11):  “September 11, 1973 in Chile; September 11, 2003 in New York and Washington...two events that changed the course of history....  In the case [of the latter event] solidarity against al-Qaida around the world blossomed.  It is unfortunate that President George W. Bush wasted such united sentiment, and disregarded the UN and unilaterally [carried out] the war in Iraq, creating a division among the nations that reject terrorism.  There is still time for him to...show that he deserves the singular role of leader the world granted him on this particular subject.

 

"Results Lacking"

 

Editorial commentary in business Portafolio (9/11):  “Despite President George W. Bush’s enormous efforts to contain the terrorism threat, results are lacking....  Criticism in the U.S. grows....  The U.S. intelligence apparatus has been incapable of finding the powerful nuclear weapons...and the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden.”

 

CUBA:  "The Twin Towers:  The World Two Years Later"

 

Elson Concepcion Perez ranted in Communist Party Granma (Internet version, 9/11):  "The terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers will go down in history as a turning point in international relations, with the predominance of a neo-fascist government whose policies and actions are not only aimed at controlling and subduing the world, but which started out by disregarding and trampling the international organizations created precisely for the benefit of peace and understanding among peoples.  Following 11 September 2001 the world has been, as never before, at the mercy of U.S. imperial power which, on behalf of anti-terrorism, undertook a devastating war against Afghanistan and subsequently against Iraq....  However, 11 September 2001 has also left a legacy of widespread fear, uncertainty plagued by frustration, throbbing instability and setbacks for the universal system of institutions such as the UN which they (the U.S.) first ignored and now want to use.  Undoubtedly, two years after the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, the world has taken dangerous steps backward, while the emboldened empire is searching for new prey to sink their claws into."  

 

ECUADOR:  "Two Years After The Attacks"

 

A front-page editorial in Quito’s center-left Hoy reflected (9/11):  “Today is the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington...nothing has been the same since.  Those events changed the concept of security in the U.S. and was the starting point for a war against international terrorist networks that altered the world's geopolitics as President George W. Bush put forth the theory of preemptive attack and unilateralism over cooperation and multilateralism....  Placing himself at an immense distance from previous White House policies, he decided to launch operations in Iraq without the approval of the UN and the international community, from which he expects support now in order to assume the high costs of reconstructing that country.”

 

PANAMA:  "Terrorism Is More Fierce Than Before The Preventive Invasion"

 

Juan Carlos Ansin's op-ed in independent La Prensa judged (9/11):  “The ruling strategists of the American Project who have taken over the White House in the name of a warlike God and a terrorism that could not be prevented or combated...have destroyed the United Nations' power, humiliated the oldest European countries, fooled the people of the world with their imprecision, exaggerations and lies in order to invade Iraq and defeat an assured despot--although one no less totalitarian, dangerous and terrorist than North Korea, Libya or Liberia.  Today terrorism is much more extended and fierce than before the preventive invasion.… There is only one weak voice, that of candidate Howard Dean from Vermont, that has risen up in order to prevent the consecration of the new regime that under the Patriot Act keeps the most powerful country of the world hostage.”

 

"Memories Of The Twin Towers"

 

Conservative El Panama America carried an op-ed by international analyst Franklin Barriga Lopez stating (9/11):  “Two years after the day in which terrorism demonstrated it has no limits, we must analyze what happened....  As a consequence of [the attacks], the magnificent structures fell and thousands of people from 86 countries died.… With ample justification, these attacks were cataloged as attacks not only on the United States but also on the world community.… The war against terrorism is a consequence of what happened and demands full and mutual collaboration from all free and democratic countries....  As a responsibility to present and future generations, the memories from the Twin Towers teaches us that we cannot lower our guard when facing those cowards devoted to terror.”

 

URUGUAY:  "Al-Qaida...Is Very Much Alive"

 

Left-of-center Observer noted (9/10):  "There is a temptation to try to make order out of the sheer variety...of contemporary terrorism.  An easy way to do it is to lump it all together as the work of 'al-Qaida.'  If al-Qaida means the group of men gathered by bin Laden in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, and responsible for 11 September, then al-Qaida is finished....  If al-Qaida is defined as the totality of modern Wahhabi-influenced Sunni Muslim militancy and its ideology, then al-Qaida is very much alive."

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