Articles of the Month

A Year Later...

It's been nearly a year since the attacks of September 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. With the approach of the first anniversary, one would think many improvements have been made to strengthen the security of the American people from the presence of any further attacks; however, this is not the case. It seems that the more military action taken by the US government to avenge the attacks of September 11, the more hatred of US policy is spreading to people all across the globe. More hatred of US policy leads to more actions against US tactics.

Thousands of anti-US protests, both peaceful and violent, have taken place worldwide since Bush's declaration of the new "War on Terrorism." Their governments, too busy appeasing the US, have used violent forces against the majority of their own people who believe that this new war is not against terrorism at all. "It is a war against the oppressed," one protester says, "it is strategic US terror, an excuse to kill the innocent and nothing more." In Tehran, thousands of protesters hanged effigies of the US and Israeli leaders, burned the two countries' flags and carried placards saying, "Bush the killer" and "War is not the answer."

"One thousand patients and medical workers killed in the US destruction of Afghan hospital." "US helicopter gun ships and jets fire at Afghan wedding, killing or injuring at least 250 civilians." "US-led massacres in the Middle East." It is headlines like these that create the developing anti-Americanism in global societies. And in light of this new war, anti-Americanism, according to Washington, is "terrorism." The more civilians killed under US action, the higher the emergence of anti-Americanism. Hence, a higher risk of another attack on the US.

Terrorism will not end unless the United States stops terrorizing the global community. This is the way most of the world feels. There is no honest justification for its continuous killing of civilians. As long as these military incursions held by the US continue, there will be no security for the American people wherever they may be. The attacks of September 11 were a wake-up call. Prejudice must be eliminated, fear must be eliminated, and confidence and trust must be built globally for the security of the American people and its allies.