Publication of this week’s newsletter was delayed because of the tragedy that took place on Tuesday in US. All of us were deeply shocked by the loss of innocent lives by sickening acts of terrorism. Our thoughts are with the families and survivors of this tragedy whose pain and grief must be immense.

But we also feel a deep sense of unease that the horrors of war and of state sponsored terror in the south, and especially in Africa, that claim millions of lives each year, somehow do not register in the same way. Is the overwhelming response to the current tragedy, then, an expression of shock that such an event could take place at the heart of the most powerful state in the world? Or is it that different values are given to human lives depending on their geography and closeness to capital?

Terrorism always plays into the hands of the Right. It justifies hysteria, prejudice, bigotry and even the use of terror against sections of humanity in the name of vengeance rather than justice. The shock, horror and anger at the attacks in the US is understandable. There is equal anger and despair amongst the survivors of massacres in Africa – only they are denied the voice to make their anguish heard.

What is frightening about the reaction in the USA is that these acts of terror are being used to justify vengeance against the ‘perceived’ perpetrators. It took less than a millisecond to point the finger at Islam. As we go to press, there is still no clarity about who the perpetrators were. A climate is growing where very soon anyone “who is, or ever has been, a member of” an Islamic organisation will be viewed with suspicion and fear. Such prejudice will be given a boost if it turns out that Bin Laden or some other extremist Islamic terrorist group was responsible for the attacks in the USA. Somehow that is seen as “understandable”. But why is it anymore understandable than writing off all whites or Christians as potential terrorists after the Oklahoma bombing?

The US and NATO have declared the attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon as acts of war. The response, in their view, should be retaliation, not bringing the perpetrators to justice. But will bombings or invasions of Afghanistan or Iraq or Sudan or wherever really diminish the potentials of further acts of terrorism against the US and its allies? Will “taking out” what the US believes to be “rogue states” really diminish the risks? Or will they only fuel the already burning fires. Can terrorism be countered by state-sponsored terror without leading to a vicious spiral?

Outside of the US, few are really surprised that the US has become the target of terrorist attacks. For many, the real rogue state is the US. American foreign policy, its collusion with and financing despotic and totalitarian regimes and dictators, its disregard for international treaties, and, through the international financial and trade institutions, its profiteering at the expense of the poor – these are really the real causes of the latest round of attacks on the US. If America is serious about declaring war that will minimise the threat of further terrorism, then it is against these causes that it must act. There are severe consequences of US retaliation that could lead to general destabilisation, especially in the Middle East, with implications for north Africa and the horn of Africa. The impending global recession could have serious implications for developing economies; and further degeneration of international relations. This could be an opportunity for the west to begin to attend to the causes of such acts, but are they likely to take it up?

The last decade has seen the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. While the average income of the top 20% of the world's population was 30 times that of the bottom 20% in 1960, by 1990 it was 60 times, and by 1997, 74 times that of the lowest fifth. By the late 1990s, 20% of the world’s population had 86% of the world GDP, while the bottom 20% had 1% “The assets of the top 3 billionaires are more than the combined GNP of all least developed countries and their 600 million people.” Nearly one quarter of the world's people have an income that is less than $1 a day - a proportion that is rising. The UN Development Programme calculates each year the human poverty index based on a series of measures including the prevalence of illiteracy, life expectancy, degree of malnourishment, and access to health services and safe water. In 1996 over a billion people fell below this measure, the position worsening in 30 countries - the worst figures since UNDP began calculating the index in 1990. Unless concerted action is taken against the growing impoverishment of the majority, then desperation and frustration will inevitably result in violent reactions such as US has witnessed these last couple of days.

Terrorism in all its forms must be opposed. But that applies as much to state-sponsored terrorism as it does to terrorism of armed groups. Last week saw the conclusion of the World Conference Against Racism that spawned its own set of contradictions. Why, for example, should the genocidal terror carried out by Europe during the Slave Trade during which tens of millions of African were uprooted or killed be viewed as acceptable just because the perpetrators declare that the act was “legal” at the time? The whole Colonial ravage of Africa was little other than legitimised terrorism. Why was it so difficult at the World Conference on Racism to declare outrage and condemnation of these vast acts of terrorism in Africa, but so easy to find our humanity when the act is carried out in New York and Washington?

Does terrorism have the effect of revealing not only the barbarism of the perpetrators but also of our own value systems?

US rallies the west for attack on Afghanistan

U.S. Bent on Revenge for Terror Attacks

Reaction from Africa: AllAfrica.com
http://allafrica.com/specials/wtc/index.html
Africa's sorrow over US terror attacks

Christians and Muslims Clash in Nigeria
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,551103,00.html
Jubilation in Nigeria on US
http://allafrica.com/stories/200109120127.html
They can't see why they are hated
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,551036,00.html
The best defence is justice
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wtccrash/story/0,1300,550464,00.html
OneWorld Special reports: after the US terror
http://www.oneworld.net/specialreports/terrorism/front.shtml