Reactions to the September 11 attacks

The Reactions to the September 11, 2001 attacks included condemnation from world leaders, other political and religious representatives and the international media, as well as numerous memorials and services all over the world. The attacks were denounced by the governments of countries traditionally considered hostile to the United States, such as Cuba, Iran, Libya and North Korea. However in some cases celebrations of the attacks were also reported, and some groups and individuals accused the United States in effect of bringing the attacks on itself.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks support for the United States' right to defend itself was expressed across the world, and by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1368. [ [http://www.state.gov/p/io/rls/othr/2001/4899.htm UN Security Council Resolution 1368 (2001) ] ] Many countries introduced "anti-terrorism" legislation [cite web| last = Hamilton| first = Stuart| title = September 11, the Internet, and the effects on information provision in Libraries| work = 68th IFLA Council and Conference|date=August 18-24, 2002| url = http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla68/papers/156-079e.pdf| format = pdf| accessdate = 2006-09-08] and froze the bank accounts [cite web|url=http://www.g8.fr/evian/english/navigation/g8_documents/archives_from_previous_summits/kananaskis_summit_-_2002/g8_counter-terrorism_cooperation_since_september_11th_backgrounder.html|title=G8 counter-terrorism cooperation since September 11 backgrounder|accessdate=2006-09-14|publisher=Site Internet du Sommet du G8 d'Evian] of businesses and individuals they suspected of having connections with al-Qaeda and its leader Osama Bin-Laden, the presumed perpetrators of the attacks.

United States

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Bush administration declared a war on terrorism, with the stated goals of bringing Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda to justice and preventing the emergence of other terrorist networks. These goals would be accomplished by means including economic and military sanctions against states perceived as harboring terrorists and increasing global surveillance and intelligence sharing. Immediately after the September 11 attacks U.S. officials [cite news| title = Plans For Iraq Attack Began On 9/11| language = English| publisher = CBS News| date = September 4 2002| url = http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/04/september11/main520830.shtml | accessdate = 2007-01-08 ] speculated on possible involvement by Saddam Hussein; although unfounded, the association contributed to public acceptance for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The second-biggest operation of the U.S. Global War on Terrorism outside of the United States, and the largest directly connected to terrorism, was the overthrow of the Taliban rule from Afghanistan, by a U.S.-led coalition.

Muslim Americans

In a Joint Statement by "American Muslim Alliance", American Muslim Council, "Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers", "Association of Muslim Social Scientists", Council on American-Islamic Relations, "Islamic Medical Association of North America", Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, "Ministry of Imam W. Deen Mohammed", Muslim American Society and Muslim Public Affairs Council, stated:

American Muslims utterly condemn the vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts.

Western world

After the attacks many governments and organizations in the West expressed shock and sympathy, and were supportive of burgeoning efforts to combat terrorism. Among them:

*NATO held an emergency meeting of the alliance's ambassadors in Brussels. The secretary general, Lord Robertson, promised the United States that it could rely on its allies in North America and Europe for assistance and support, and pledged that those responsible would not get away with it.
*European foreign ministers scheduled a rare emergency meeting the next day of the attacks to discuss a joint response, as officials expressed solidarity with the United States. The external relations commissioner, Chris Patten, called the attacks "the work of a madman."
*British security forces across the world were placed on maximum alert. Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged that Britain would stand "full square alongside the U.S." in the battle against terrorism. Queen Elizabeth expressed "growing disbelief and total shock." In London, the U.S. national anthem was played at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
*The BBC apologised after an edition of its political panel programme Question Time, held two days after the attacks, saw the US ambassador to the UK Philip Lader face hostile criticism of US foreign policy from audience members. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1544897.stm BBC News | TV AND RADIO | BBC chief apologises for terror debate ] ]
*In Germany, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder described the attacks as "a declaration of war against the civilized world." Authorities urged Frankfurt, the country's financial capital, to close all its major skyscrapers. The new Jewish museum in Berlin canceled its public opening. In Berlin, 200,000 Germans marched to show their solidarity with America.
*The French newspaper of record, "Le Monde", ran a front-page headline reading "Nous sommes tous Américains", or "We are all Americans".
*A National Day of Mourning was held in Ireland on Friday, September 14, the only country other than the U.S.A. and Israel to do so.

*In Canada, hundreds of United States-bound flights were diverted to Canadian airports, including a plane carrying President Glafcos Clerides of Cyprus, who landed in Montreal. see|Operation Yellow Ribbon "and Operation Support"
*New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark stated "It's the sort of thing the worst movie scenario wouldn't dream up," [ [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=216547 World leaders united in condemnation - 12 Sep 2001 - NZ Herald: World / International News ] ] and a New Zealand Herald DigiPoll revealed that after the attacks 2/3 of New Zealanders supported a NZ pledge of troops to Afghanistan. [ [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=219643 Pledge NZ forces says poll - 01 Oct 2001 - NZ Herald: New Zealand National news ] ]
*In 2003, New Zealand began administering a "Pacific Security Fund" to vulnerable nations in the Pacific region aiming at securing and preventing terrorism from entering the region, there is an annual fund of NZD$3 million that is paid by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and is used to provide support to Pacific Island Coutries. [ [http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Foreign-Relations/Pacific/Regional-Security/index.php Pacific - Security - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade ] ]
*On May 29, 2006, New Zealand authorities raided Rayed Mohammed Abdullah Ali's Palmerston North home, and on May 30 he was deported back to Saudi Arabia under escort. On June 10, 2006 the New Zealand government released a statement saying that Ali was deported because he "posed a threat to national security" and confirmed that he had lived and trained in Phoenix, Arizona, with fellow Saudi Hani Hanjour in the months leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks. [cite web| url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/archive/archive?ArchiveId=23494l| title= New Zealand deports 9/11 suspect| publisher=Aljazeera|date=June 12, 2006| accessdate=2006-11-16]

United Nations

In the following day of the attacks, the Security Council members condemned the terrorist attacks on the United States and adopted resolution 1368 (2001), by which they expressed readiness to take all necessary steps to respond to the attacks of September 11 and to combat all forms of terrorism in accordance with their Charter responsibilities. [ [http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2001/SC7143.doc.htm Security Council Condemns, ‘In Strongest Terms’, Terrorist Attacks On United States ] ]

Then-Secretary General of the UN Kofi Annan, said: "We are all traumatized by this terrible tragedy". [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE0DB1238F931A2575AC0A9679C8B63&scp=2&sq=kofi+annan&st=nyt NY Times - Reaction From Around the World] ]

Islamic world

Reactions to the attacks in the Muslim world were mixed. Many reports of Muslim political and religious leaders portrayed them as condemning the attacks. The leaders included the Presidents of Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Libya, Syria, Iran and Pakistan. [ [http://www.september11news.com/InternationalReaction.htm September 11 News.com - International Reaction - The 09-11-2001 Attacks on the USA With Archived News, Images, Photos, & Newspapers from the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on New York City & the Pentagon ] ] [http://www.crescentlife.com/heal%20the%20world/muslim_reactions_to_sept_11.htm CrescentLife - Muslim Reactions to September 11th] ] The president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, said of the attacks that "The American cowboys are reaping the fruit of their crimes against humanity." [ [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/09/12/mideast.reaction/index.html CNN.com - Attacks draw mixed response in Mideast - September 12 2001 ] ] Saddam would later offer sympathy to the Americans killed in the attacks. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,,578434,00.html Saddam Hussein emails American citizen | World news | The Guardian ] ]

*Renowned Muslim scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi denounced the attacks and the killings of hundreds of civilians as a "heinous crime" and urged Muslims to donate blood to the victims. He did however criticise the United States' "biased policy towards Israel" and also called on Muslims to "concentrate on facing the occupying enemy directly", inside the Palestinian territories. [ [http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2001-09/13/article25.shtml Islam Online- News Section ] ]

*Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas -- a Palestinian Islamist [cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,481940,00.html
title=Hamas Mickey Mouse Teaches Jihad
publisher=www.spiegel.de
accessdate=2008-07-29
last=
first=] movement responsible for carrying out a series of suicide bombings in Israel and which has been officially designated as a terrorist organization by Canada, [http://www.psepc.gc.ca/prg/ns/le/cle-en.asp#hhi18 Keeping Canadians Safe] , Public Security and Emergency Preparedness Canada, National Security, Listed entities. Accessed July 31, 2006.] Israel, [ [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/7/The%20Financial%20Sources%20of%20the%20Hamas%20Terror%20Organiza The Financial Sources of the Hamas Terror Organization] (Israel MFA)] Japan, [ [http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/other/bluebook/2005/ch3-a.pdf Japan's Diplomatic Bluebook 2005] states that it has frozen the assets of "terrorist organizations, including... Hamas."] and the United States, [http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/65463.pdf "Country reports on terrorism 2005"] , United States Department of State. Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. US Dept. of State Publication 11324. Released April 2006] --, said he was not interested in exporting such attacks to the United States, however he criticized the "unfair American position".

*Afghanistan's Taliban rulers condemned the attacks and rejected suggestions that Osama bin Laden, who had been given asylum in Afghanistan, could be behind them.

*Huge crowds attended candlelit vigils in Iran, and 60,000 spectators observed a minute's silence at Tehran football stadium. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5377914.stm BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iran's gulf of misunderstanding with US ] ]

Palestinian celebrations

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) immediately condemned the attacks. Shortly after the attacks began, about 3,000 Palestinians poured into the streets of Nablus, chanting 'Allāhu Akbar' (God is (the) greatest), passing along sweets, honking car horns, holding up the V sign for victory and holding up Palestinian flags. Also, in Ein el-Hilweh, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, revelers fired weapons in the air, with similar celebratory gunfire heard at the Rashidiyeh camp near the southern city of Tyre as well.

Reports and images of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, Nablus, and Lebanon taking to the streets in celebration, were broadcast around the world. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34187,00.html FOXNews.com - Arafat Horrified by Attacks, but Thousands of Palestinians Celebrate; Rest of World Outraged - U.S. & World ] ] with many newspapers, magazines, Web sites and wire services running photographs of the festivities. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1538664.stm BBC: In pictures: Atrocities' aftermath] ] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34346,00.html 'Palestinian Officials Quash Pictures of Arab Celebrations' by Catherine Donaldson-Evans (FOX News)] ] The PNA claimed such celebrations were not representative of the sentiments of the Palestinian people, and the Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the PNA would not allow "a few kids" to "smear the real face of the Palestinians". In an attempt to quash further reporting, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, Arafat's Cabinet secretary, said the Palestinian Authority could not "guarantee the life" of an Associated Press (AP) cameraman if footage he filmed of post-9/11 celebrations in Nablus was broadcast. Rahman's statement prompted a formal protest from the AP bureau chief, Dan Perry. [http://members.tripod.com/arabterrorism/terrorism3.html "Personal website at Tripod.com:"
'Attacks celebrated in West Bank' by The Times, UK
'Palestinians in Lebanon Celebrate Anti-US Attacks' by Ain-al-Helweh, Lebanon (AFP)
'Palestinians Celebrate Attacks with Gunfire' by Joseph Logan (Reuters)
'AP protests threats to freelance cameraman who filmed Palestinian rally' (The Associated Press)
'Foreign journalists 'deeply concerned' by PA harassment' (The Associated Press)
'Palestinian Authority has muzzled coverage of Palestinian celebrations' (MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE)
'Israel to

'Bin-Laden Poster Seen at Gaza Rally' (The Associated Press)] .] [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,34346,00.html FOXNews - Palestinian Officials Quash Pictures of Arab Celebrations] ]

Investigation of news reporting and allegations of fraud

Annette Krüger Spitta of the ARD's (German public broadcasting) TV magazine "Panorama" states that footage not aired shows that the street surrounding the celebration in Jerusalem is quiet. Furthermore, she states that a man in a white T-shirt incited the children and gathered people together for the shot. The "Panorama" report, dated September 20 2001, quotes Communications Professor Martin Löffelholz explaining that in the images one sees jubilant Palestinian children and several adults but there is no indication that their pleasure is related to the attack. The woman seen cheering (Nawal Abdel Fatah) stated afterwards that she was offered cake if she celebrated on camera, and was frightened when she saw the pictures on television afterward. [ [http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=de_en&url=http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/archiv/2001/t_cid-2935674_.html 'Pictures, reports, embarrassment - the media and the disaster' by Annette Krüger Spitta for "Panorama" (ARD, Germany) "(Babelfish translated)"] , [http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdaserste.ndr.de%2Fpanorama%2Farchiv%2F2001%2Ft_cid-2935674_.html&langpair=de%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=%2Flanguage_tools "(Google translated)"] , [http://daserste.ndr.de/panorama/archiv/2001/t_cid-2935674_.html (source article)] languageicon|de|German]

There was also an urban legend that the footage of some Palestinians celebrating the attacks was stock footage of Palestinian reactions to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=du&u=http://www.wtc-trauer.de/mirror/Spiegel_DieMachtderTVBilder.htm 'The power of the TV-pictures, What is the truth?' by Lisa Erdmann (Der Spiegel) "(Google Translated)"] , [http://www.wtc-trauer.de/mirror/Spiegel_DieMachtderTVBilder.htm (translation original)] - [http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,158625,00.html (source article)] languageicon|de|German] This rumor was proven false shortly afterwards, [ [http://www.snopes.com/rumors/cnn.htm 'Claim: CNN used old footage to fake images. Status: False.' (Snopes.com)] ] and "CNN" issued a statement to that effect. [http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/cnn.statement/ CNN statement about false claim it used old video] , "CNN.]

Rest of the world

*Israel: the day after the attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon urged the world to fight terrorism and declared a national day of mourning in solidarity with the United States. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "linked the attacks to [Israel's] plight" and speculated that the attacks might improve U.S.–Israel relations.cite book|title=Terrorism and Global Disorder: Political Violence in the Contemporary World|author=Adrian Guelke|publisher=I.B.Tauris|year=2006|isbn=ISBN 185043803X, 9781850438038|page=133|url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=O6D8zzHjZQ0C&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&dq=adrian+guelke+netanyahu+9/11&source=web&ots=T835lS3Znd&sig=GQY1DnA8xXl-nT6f_l61AJOP0VI&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result]

*India declared high alert across most of its major cities and conveyed "deepest sympathies" to the US and condemned the attacks. [ [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-10354617_ITM INDIAN NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTS - SEPT 12, 2001. | AsiaPulse News (, 2001) ] ]
*Mexico increased its security, causing enormous traffic jams at the United States border and officials said they were considering closing the entire border. President Vicente Fox expressed "solidarity and our most profound condolences."
*Cuban government expressed its "pain" and "solidarity" with its longtime adversary and offered air and medical facilities to help.
*Chinese President Jiang Zemin said he was "shocked" and sent his condolences to President Bush, while the Foreign Ministry said China "opposed all manner" of terrorism.
*Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi expressed "great anger" and said "these acts of terrorism should not be forgiven." Special security precautions were ordered at all United States military installations.
*Russia put troops on alert. President Vladimir V. Putin held an emergency meeting of security officials and said he supported a tough response to the "barbaric acts."

References