World Reacts with Revulsion to U.S. Attacks
LONDON (Reuters) - World leaders reacted with revulsion to Tuesday's devastating U.S. terror attacks and Washington's allies demanded war on international terrorism -- but in the Middle East, some people flaunted their glee.
While Russia and the West urged unprecedented solidarity to answer an unprecedented catastrophe, Palestinians fired into the air and handed out sweets in the West Bank to celebrate, and Egyptians said maybe the Americans had got their just deserts.
``America and Israel are one. This is the result of American policy,'' one Palestinian gunman said.
No one claimed immediate responsibility for what a European Union (news - web sites) leader equated with Pearl Harbor and what Norway called the worst terrorist attack in history. Early U.S. speculation centered on Saudi-born guerrilla, Osama bin Laden (news - web sites).
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) and an Afghan Taliban envoy joined states around the world in condemnation.
European leaders from Britain to Russia broke off normal business for crisis meetings.
From every corner, politicians grappled for the strongest language to describe the nightmare: horrendous, abominable, disgusting, monstrous, abhorrent, cowardly, vile, insane.
The European Union said it was the worst attack on America since Pearl Harbor 60 years ago and was ``one of those few days in life that one can actually say will change everything.''
``This is an act of war by madmen,'' EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten added in comments to Reuters.
EU foreign ministers are to hold an emergency meeting in Brussels Wednesday to discuss a joint response.
Flags were lowered on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's office and on official buildings in Germany. A black flag was ordered hoisted over Austria's parliament.
In a ``Dear George'' telegram to Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites) said:
``Such an inhuman act must not go unpunished. The entire international community should unite in the struggle against terrorism.''
WESTERN EUROPE
``France has always condemned terrorism, condemns it without reserve and thinks we must fight terrorism by all means,'' President Jacques Chirac said as he broke off a regional tour to rush back to Paris.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) expressed his disgust before he too raced back to his office from a conference.
``This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today. It is perpetrated by fanatics who are utterly indifferent to the sanctity of life,'' he said.
Queen Elizabeth expressed ``total shock.''
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder promised Bush ''unlimited solidarity'' in a letter of condolence for as yet unknown casualties. Parliament in Berlin suspended normal business.
Air traffic authorities said all flights leaving Europe to the United States had been suspended.
``I am shocked at the terrifying, insane terrorist attack which has hit the people of a friendly nation as well as the conscience of the entire world,'' Italian premier Berlusconi wrote in a message to Bush.
Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar called it a ``terrorist frenzy.''
Ordinary Europeans also were horrified.
``It's crazy -- and if it's the U.S. today it'll be us tomorrow, you can bet. These people are crazy,'' said a stunned butcher in the French capital Paris.
TALIBAN
Even those with ice-cold relations with Washington condemned the attacks.
The ambassador to Pakistan of Afghanistan (news - web sites)'s Taliban leaders -- who have given Bin Laden shelter -- condemned the ''terrorist'' attacks, the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press said.
Swedish aid workers in Afghanistan said they may pull out, fearing U.S. retaliation if it appeared Bin Laden was involved.
Pakistan, the main international backer of the Taliban, joined in the condemnation.
MIXED REACTIONS
Arafat told reporters in Gaza he abhorred the catastrophe.
``We completely condemn this...We were completely shocked. It's unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable,'' he said.
But some Palestinians were joyful.
``I feel I am in a dream. I never believed that one day the United States would come to pay a price for its support to Israel,'' said Mustafa, a 24-year-old gunman.
Several dozen Palestinian youths gathered in Arab East Jerusalem to celebrate, honking out wedding tunes on car horns.
The Islamic militant group Hamas denied any connection.
``We in Hamas, our battle is on the Palestinian land. We are not ready to move our battle out of the occupied Palestinian territories,'' said Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.
``America plants injustice and hatred in the hearts of the weak people so it reaps what it plants.''
Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told Israel's Army Radio it was ``simply a terrible thing.'' Many ordinary Egyptians, though, said the United States deserved the carnage for its ``bias'' against the Arabs.
Samira Mohamed, a 26-year-old lawyer, was delighted.
``My happiness is based on my utter rejection of the U.S. treatment of the Middle East case,'' she said.
Kenyans with raw memories of a 1998 U.S. embassy blast gave mixed reactions, offering sympathy but also urging Americans to understand why U.S. Middle East policy makes them targets.
``Maybe the Americans will now get a taste of what we went through,'' said Consolata Wanjiru Mugo, hurt in Nairobi's blast.
RESOLVE
Mexico's President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) said:
``We reiterate our total, categorical rejection of all forms of violence, of all forms of terrorism.''
Pope John Paul (news - web sites) condemned the attacks in a message to President Bush (news - web sites), calling them an ``unspeakable horror'' which had thrust the nation into a ``dark and tragic moment.''
Britain, one of the closest U.S. allies, offered all the help at its disposal to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The EU said fighting terror would now be mission number one indefinitely.
``It's certainly going to mean that the fight against international terrorism is going to dominate the international agenda until it's won,'' the Union's Patten said.
``Italy is in mourning today,'' President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said in a rare live television appearance.
``These attacks...require a full-blown fight against terrorism. We know that this fight is the way to defend the values that are at the basis of civil life and peace.''
``Pearl Harbor in 2001,'' was how Germany's Die Welt newspaper described the attacks. ``America will hit back hard.
``War is in sight.'' |
