Five years ago today, New York’s World Trade Center collapsed and 3,000 people lost their lives. The people of the world were horrified and enraged at the unparalleled terrorist attack. It is not that most of the world forgot about the hegemonic war and political terror the United States had been pursuing in the Third World, but they expressed sympathy and sadness for the suffering and anger of the American people. They earnestly hoped that such a terror attack would never be repeated. Five years later, however, terrorism has become more brutal and has spread across the globe. Hope for peace has lost its strength and there is less sympathy than there used to be.
The American-led war on terror has turned into a global war for dominance, and has become so due to being a Crusade against the Islamic world. The war has revived global Islamism and turned militant Muslims into terrorists. The U.S.’s closest ally in the war on terror, Great Britain, suffered a bus and subway bomb attack that killed 56 and injured 700, and authorities there recently uncovered a massive plan to bomb passenger planes. Another ally, Spain, suffered 191 deaths in an attack on a commuter train in 2004. France opposed the war on terror, but it had to declare a state of emergency when Muslim youths rioted in anger at discrimination and social alienation.
The administration of George W. Bush has sought to use the events of September 11, 2001 in domestic politics, and that has made matters worse. For 16 months after the attacks he enjoyed an unprecedentedly consistent approval rating of over 60 percent. He was reelected. However, the political strategies of an administration based on lies, hate, and domination soon ran out of steam. Citizens faced demands that more of their freedom and democracy be put on hold. They have been exposed to a growing terror threat. The Iraq war has proven a quagmire and human rights abuses and a massacre by members of the U.S. military have incited extreme of anti-American sentiments. Bush’s ratings have fallen rapidly, having dipped as low as 30 percent and now hovering around 40 percent.
Now that mid-term elections are coming up in November, Bush is trying to use September 11, 2001 for political ends once again. The U.S. is "safer but not safe," he tells the American people as he calls for the need to maintain and strengthen current anti-terrorism policy. Military tribunals of terror suspects have begun, rather than fair trials. War and hate do not bring peace. The terrorism of September 11 speaks of that. How many more have to die before the Bush Administration realizes this?
[Editorial] Five years after 9/11, still no peace |
