The Attacks on World Trade Centre and Pentagon: comment

This tragedy has resulted in much discussion and raised several questions not only in the minds
of people across United States of America but to all humanity lovers around the world in general.
It has provided us an opportunity to learn manifold aspects from this worst human tragedy of our
times. This incident has widened the gulf of conflicts between West and third world countries
especially Muslim world. A common fallacy about Muslims of the world has gained an eternal
place in the minds of Western world that Muslims are anti-West and possess penchant towards
terrorism which is absolutely not a ground reality. It seems quite visible that Muslims will have
to suffer aftermath of this incident for years.

We need to delve more deeply into the matter in order to find out reasons behind these attacks.
Most of the political analysts and pundits hold responsible vicious situation inside Middle East,
Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kashmir, and some other parts of the Muslim world
due to US foreign policies that are being practiced by US government for the past several years.
It is considered as an ultimate result of dual standards of the US over several world issues. Third
world countries including Muslim world possess several grievances against US role in the world
politics and economic exploitation of developing nations by US corporations that has resulted in
alarmingly increased poverty level among the people of these countries. Who can dare to deny
the verity that Islamic militant groups were developed, supported and promoted by US during
Soviet invasion in Afghanistan? US policies have developed enmity and anti-US mind-set
around the world. These are the most palpable reasons behind this catastrophe. The suicide
attacks were carefully planned to destroy the iconic emblems of US wealth and power. World
trade centre was considered as the symbol of US prosperity and economic supremacy while
Pentagon was undoubtedly acknowledged as a defense brain of US, a logo of extreme influence.
Apparently it seems that there were two main targets before the planners one is the immediate
and other is the lasting effect on US economic, military and political centers. They also tried to
crash a vision about US that once considered as world’s most powerful country and regarded as
militarily unassailable.

The consequences of this disaster will be diverse. It would surely affect global economy. Impacts
on global economy are evident by mass demonstrations in Genoa and the recent economic crisis
in Argentina that are visible indications of deterioration of global economy. US economy
received effects of this incident in the shape that millions of workers have been laid off after 11th
September’s incidence. This incident accelerated and catalyzed recession in US economy. It is
expected that development and promotion of racism will rise against Muslims and non Western
world and will widen the gap between West and non Western world. This disaster has inhibited
humanitarian activities organized by Western NGO’s in different parts of world particularly in
countries like Afghanistan where the situation is getting worst due to the retaliation of US in
response to these attacks. OXFAM a Western NGO issued a statement on 14/09/2001 in which
they revealed their great concern over the aftermath of retaliation against Afghanistan, for more
information please read online release by Oxfam at
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/whatnew/press/wtc.htm. This has again raised civil rights &
liberties issues in US society as once it was practiced by Presidents Lincoln and Wilson who
limited civil liberties during times of War. This calamity has hampered the activities of anti-
globalization movement that gained popularity in the West against US globalization campaign
and that was gaining success at a tremendous rate. Now this movement has slowed down as the
activists of anti-globalization believe that this tragedy has rolled back their achievements.

Bibliography

1. World Trade Center & Pentagon Attacks

http://members.aol.com/TeacherNet/WTC.html
2. The Impact on Central and South Asia
28 September 2001: Responding to the World Trade Centre and Pentagon
Attacks by Paul Rogers, Professor, Department of Peace Studies, Bradford
University http://www.wluml.org/english/new-archives/wtc/voices/impact-
region.htm
3. Committee for a workers’ International: World Economy & Globalizations
http://www.worldsocialist-cwi.org/economy.html
4. World Market Research Centre: Global: Crisis in the US: The Insurance Industry
After the Terror
http://www.worldmarketsanalysis.com/xmldocs/WMOStatic/USCrisis/articles/am_i
nsurance.htm
5. World Trade Centre tragedy - Oxfam GB concerned that people of Afghanistan
could bear brunt of retaliation. Oxfam is deeply shocked and saddened by the
attacks and the huge loss of life in America on Tuesday.
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/whatnew/press/wtc.htm
6. It’s the wild west again by Almas Minhas (Dawn Magazine dated Sunday, January
06, 2002)
7. Setback to Seattle by Ashfak Bokhari (Dawn Magazine dated Sunday, December 30,
2001)
8. The Aftermath of the World Trade Centre Tragedy:
Making sense of it together
Abul Hussain & Rufus May
September 2001 http://www.crescentlife.com/heal%20the
%20world/aftermath_of_the_wtc_tragedy.htm