Carol’s Column

WTC Attack

Today a week ago two commercial aeroplanes smashed into the World Trade Centre, one flew into the Pentagon and a fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field.

The United States will never be the same. But sadly, neither will the rest of the world.

Personally, our little family is lucky, we have not lost anyone close in this most evil of terrorist attacks on innocent civilian people.

Though, last Tuesday, last week, we had a terrifying four hours when we didn't hear from our daughter Nicky who works in New York just two blocks from the Twin Towers.

We are blessed, she is quite safe. But until she managed to get a brief message out to say: "I'm alive, I'm safe," we watched the horror unfold and were numb with fear.

One week later and the heartbreaking human stories emerge. Like everyone else, I've watched the events unfold. With awe, I've seen thousands of heroic rescue workers risk their lives as they search through the debris for survivors that are not there.

The faces of those last seen in the Twin towers are pasted all over the city. Thousands of desperate relatives mill around the registration centres, hoping against hope that somebody might have seen or heard of their loved ones. On television, pictures are held up of young, old, black, white, Indian, Chinese mothers, fathers, sons and daughters who are missing. 'Last seen on floor 105 of Tower One . . . Last seen on floor 84 of Tower Two.'

Even so far away, in this country, some parents are already grieving, yet hoping that perhaps, perhaps, their sons will still be found.

One can talk, rationalise, expound theories - people have been doing so the whole week.

That this attack by terrorists on a civilian population in a time of peace is an act of war is unarguable.

I want to believe that the greater majority of people in our world are horrified by this attack. I also want to believe that the televised footage of Palestinians we've seen rejoicing this catastrophe, show just a small segment of fanatics not representative of all Muslims.

Then, there are those who say that America is ultimately responsible for the devastation visited upon it last Tuesday. When I hear this, I feel great anger.

Every country acts in a way that is politically expedient. The USA is no different to any other. Of course it has done bad things. But, it has done far more good.

In time of global disaster, economic meltdown, famine, strife, America has always been there. America has always come through.

Cynics will say as the wealthiest country around, it can afford to. Other wealthy countries don't come through.

That there will be incidents of racism and hatred spawned by the apocalyptic happenings on Tuesday are inevitable. Sadly, already people of Arab or Muslim origin are being targeted. But, remember that the leadership of America and the rest of the sane world is stating loud and clear that this is the work of a group of Islamic fanatics - that all other believers of Islam MUST not be tarred with the same brush.

On Tuesday, September 11 2001, the world changed.

I think we should remember that not one of the America-bashing countries has the democracy and freedom of America. The truth is that they perpetrate injustices and abuses on their own people as well as on neighbouring states.

Above all, the fact that one vicious combined terrorist act can close down America for four days, is frightening.

And we, the rest of the world must take cognisance of that. We are all threatened.

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