World shock over U.S. attacks
September 11, 2001 Posted: 1:46 PM EDT (1746 GMT)
LONDON, England -- World leaders have reacted with revulsion to the aircraft attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin has sent a message to U.S. President George W. Bush expressing sympathy over the deadly attacks, Xinhua news agency was reported by Reuters as saying.
A sombre and visibly shaken British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the world's democracies must "fight this evil" perpetrated by suspected terrorists in the U.S..
Blair, who cancelled a speech he was due to make in Brighton, southern England, added these sort of attacks were "perpetrated by fanatics, utterly indifferent to the sanctity of human life."
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed deep sympathy to the people of the U.S. "in connection with this terrorist act, this terrible tragedy," the Kremlin quoted spokesman Alexei Gromov as saying, Reuters said.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemned the attack, saying he "sent his condolences and those of the Palestinian people to Bush and the American people."
EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten told Reuters."This is an act of war by madmen."
He compared the attack with that deployed by the Japanese at the U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor in 1941.
"It is the worst attack on the United States since Pearl Harbor," he added.
"This is one of those few days in life that one can actually say will change everything."
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson called it an "intolerable aggression against democracy," Reuters reported.
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit was reported by Reuters as saying: "The United States of America is face to face with one of the greatest tragedies in its history, something that could affect the entire world,"
Pakistan military ruler General Pervez Musharraf said in a statement: "The world must unite to fight against terrorism in all its forms and root out this modern day evil."
Flags half-mast in Italy
The Italian and EU flags flew at half-mast at the office of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said Italy joined the U.S. in condemning "these monstrous criminals who have demonstrated a vile and brutal affront against humanity," The Associated Press said.
French President Jacques Chirac, in a live televised address, condemned the attacks as "monstrous" and expressed his solidarity with the American people, AP reported.
"France has just learned of these monstrous attacks -- there is no other word for it -- that have hit America," Chirac said from Rennes, in the western region of Brittany.
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin talked of his "sadness and horror," before calling a security crisis meeting.
Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told Israel's Army Radio it was "simply a tragedy," Reuters reported.
"All I can say is I sympathise with the American people. We don't have any more details than what has been reported on CNN. It's simply a terrible thing."
Guy Verhofstadt, the prime minister of Belgium, which currently holds the chair of the EU, expressed "deep shock and dismay" on hearing of the attacks.
"On behalf of the European Union, [Verhofstadt and foreign minister Louis Michel] condemn in the strongest possible terms this type of cowardly attack on innocent civilians."
European Union foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to consider their response to the attacks.
A spokesman for the German foreign ministry said: "The foreign minister is dismayed and shocked by the reports from New York."
Pope John Paul II sent a telegram, which said: "I hurry to express to you and your fellow citizens my profound sorrow and my closeness in prayer for the nation at this dark and tragic moment."
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II also sent a message of condolence to U.S. President George W. Bush expressing her "disbelief and total shock."
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark described the attacks as a horror story.
"It's the sort of thing the worst movie scenario wouldn't dream up," Clark told Reuters by telephone from Hong Kong.
"It's obviously a very sophisticated terrorist attack to get all that co-ordinated."
Japan ordered its military to tighten security for the huge U.S. bases scattered across the country and U.S. Marines went on maximum alert.
"This incident in the United States is extremely cowardly and is beyond what any words can describe," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was reported by Reuters as saying.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian expressed his condolences in a telegram to Bush, the office of the president said, as did the Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, Reuters said.
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