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Has the world changed since 9/11?

A year has passed since the 9/11 terrorists struck at NY, Washington and Pennsylvania, termed as the worst attack on US soil since Pearl Harbour...
What remains to be seen is wether the Americans have managed to turn this human tragedy into a call for peace and justice around the world or just turned it into another day of national mourning and rememberance.

Leaders from around the world gathering in NewYork for the first anniversary of 9/11 attacks will be commemorating those who died in the attacks, along with thousands of NewYorkers, millions of Americans and billions of citizens of the World in their homes.

These dozens of World leaders include President Pervez Musharraf representing Pakistan, making this a global event symbolising a need for a global solution to our problems that very well culminated in 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.. an Icon of Globalisation.

Today the US-led coalition against terror has more or less collapsed militarily with only diplomatic support prevailing, even the US Senate itself is divided over the issue of taking the War to Iraq. US President Bush wishes to eliminate the Saddam threat once and for all but taking the war-on-terror to Iraq would mean other mid-eastern countries like Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and African countries like Libya, Sudan and even Egypt could well be in line of fire.

Already the heightened security measures in the US specifically against Muslims is raising tensions with Arab nations, an attack on Iraq could severely damage relations.

On the first anniversary of attacks, many believe the world has changed. But has it changed for the good of humanity? Hardly so.

Over the past year, post 9/11, the US and its allies including Pakistan have spent millions of dollars in cash and military resources to bring Al-Qaeda [AQ] to justice. So far they have failed in doing so as the AQ leaders are still atlarge with financial means to carry out a 9/11 anniversary of their own.

What the US and its Allies fail to realise is that such amount of money could well have been spent on rehabilitation of Afghanistan back in the 90s and towards a lasting peace process in the Middle East thus eradicating chances of organisations like AQ ever coming to existence. Even now after much of Afghanistan in under Allied control, the rehabilitation is only reluctantly underway. Unfortunately though, situation remains unchanged in the Middle East, Kashmir or Cechnya.

It must be remembered here that Osama bin Laden comes from a business family and AQ is one of his business endeavours. With anti-West feelings high in breeding grounds of Middle East, it was not all too hard for him to build an army of terrorists and use them for whatever henious purpose he wished against the West which he eventually did.

Today Bin Laden is still atlarge and is believed to have bought his freedom from Afghans or Tribals in Pakistan or even the ISI although some believe he is dead. Most however in the muslim world, still believe he is a hero of Islam, and that is a question left unanswered even after an year has passed since AQ struck.
Does the West acknowledge the hardships of millions of muslims in troubled lands like Middle East, Afghanistan, Kashmir and Chechnya?

Osama bin Laden merely used this very point to raise an army of Jehadis willing to die in the name of Allah instead of living a miserable life of inequality. The message in all this is, As long as these troubled spots remain on the face of earth and as long as inequality and injustice prevails, organisations like AQ and heros like Osama bin Laden will keep on sprouting up.

.:: Editor's Note ::.

Filed on September 9th 2002.