Ananova :

Ananova: Millions of people worldwide saw the tragic events in the US unfold live on television. How do you feel in the aftermath of events in New York, Washington and Pittsburgh?

Nina: The attacks on America yesterday were unbelievable. What's even worse is the thought that this tragedy may have been avoided if tighter security had been implemented for internal flights. This was the weakest link in American security, and these evil cowards have taken full advantage.

Steve Perry: This attack is an absolute disgrace to all the decent and civilised countries in the world, and only serves to emphasise the importance of dealing with terrorism swiftly, decisively and at a root level.

Jonathan Hall: The greatest burden will be felt by those left behind. As someone who knew people that died in the Falklands conflict, I can bear witness to this. If, as reports suggest, 10,000 people have been killed, then how many mums and dads, husbands and wives, have been lost? The despair ripples out like the waves on pond as the sadness spreads further and further.

Rob Booth: The sight of the towers falling to the ground amid all the chaos filled me with a deep sorrow for all involved and an intense anger towards the people responsible for this horrific act of barbarism. Any message these people are trying to get across is negated by the way they destroyed thousands of lives, and if their ideals and goals have to be achieved in such a way, they are showing that democracy and other people's views are unacceptable to them.

Nicola Sanderson: We need to find out who is responsible for this and destroy everything that they hold dear, if anything. I would not be surprised if the world goes to war over this. It has been devastating.

Jimmy: I remember everyone blaming the Taliban/Islamic extremists/bin Laden for the last terrorist attack in the States, and who did it turn out to be? Timothy McVeigh. Yes, it's a shocking and appalling crime of the worst kind and those responsible need to be brought to justice. However, jumping on the bandwagon and blaming people with no proof whatsoever will do no good at all.

Bruce Myers: A feeling of emotional impotence overwhelmed myself and my partner as we watched the devastation. Tears came, closely followed by anger and frustration at the realisation that there exist in the world people so fanatical that they could commit such atrocities.

Paul Sadler: The question is: why did they do it? It just seems such a senseless waste of life. It has not solved anything apart from widening the gap between communities around the world and bringing the world as a whole to a crossroad of uncertainty.

Neil E Robson: I don't think I'll ever forget the way my whole office went quiet. I don't think I'll ever forget the footage I saw.

Aileen : I feel sick. This was not just an attack on the US it was an attack on all of us in the free world. I am staggered at the ease with which this was carried out, using innocent citizens as weapons of mass destruction. I know that there will be retaliation but I hope that it is against the right people, and not a knee-jerk reaction with even more devastating consequences. Whoever did this will not or should not be allowed to get away with it. My heart goes out to the families of the victims.

Carol Samuels: I can only express my total shock and horror. I'd like to send my sympathy for the people killed yesterday. I'm not a religious person, but I have said a prayer for all those caught up in the events of yesterday. My heart goes out to the relatives struggling to come to terms with their loss. I hope that time will heal your wounds.

Alan Hellen: I feel sick to the stomach and sort of like I've lost a very close family member or friend. Come on world, fight back against the sickos who did this.

Anne Lucas: There are no words strong enough to describe what I felt watching the horrific reports coming in from the States. I just sat there with tears streaming down my face. But after the first shock had worn off I thought 'O my God this could be the beginning of a world war'. The things (I cannot give them the name of men) that perpetrated this atrocity are dead but the monsters who brainwashed them into doing this should be ... actually I cannot think of any punishment strong enough to fit their crime. My thoughts and prayers go to all those who have lost a loved one in this barbaric attack

Stuart Willison: The organisation, coordination, planning and the effects we will see in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy remind me of John F Kennedy's assassination. I fear Bush's plans for Star Wars and remilitarisation will now advance unchecked by a public baying for blood, when the root causes of this disaster must be addressed, not the emotions that cloud vision and judgement in its wake.

David Shedden: I am awestruck. The audacity of this attack is without precedent, and even across the Atlantic, I was rendered immobile by the news and pictures. The nature of feeling possessed by these men or women, which enabled them to use an airliner full of people like a crossbow quarrel, is beyond my humble powers of imagination.

Bas Metolli: Very gutted and distraught; I still can't take it in what I have seen yesterday when the planes hit the buildings. Whoever done it must be sick and not a human. All those hard working people inside lost their lives with no answer - why them?

Jo: It's still hard to have a coherent over view so embedded are we in the event, but one thing that I've noticed that has angered me, is that everyone is talking about the tragedy, the attack on America's foundations, finding and punishing the perpetrators etc... but no-one is looking at what the US do and have been doing for decades with their agressive foreign policies, and possibly concluding that this wasn't the 'unprovoked' attack that it's being reported as. I don't condone the absolute disregard for the sanctity of life on this scale but we should be asking ourselves how the US can learn from this in terms of changing their approach to the Middle East and all those nations, factions and religions that choose to follow a different ideology than that of the 'American Way', rather than talking about such inhumane and archaic resolves as retribution.

Katy: My thoughts and prayers are with those who are suffering because of this tragedy, especially those that are still alive in that mess. I hope they can hold on long enough.

Kate Piddock: All I can think about is all those people who will now never again see another day at the office. They all belonged to someone, be they a son or daughter, father or mother, lover, partner, whatever. That pains me and it pains me that the world has become so evil.

Melissa Caruso: As an American, I can't even describe the effect this is having on every single person I know. Yesterday, we were all afraid of what might come next. This morning I kept finding out about more and more friends and family who had some level of involvement in the tragedy. We're all in shock. No matter how many times I see the footage of the towers falling, I can't believe it's real. This is a city I know, with friends and family living in it, and now it's covered in smoke and rubble. I can't even think about how many people must be dead, because it's too much to contemplate.

Bill Montgomery: I am an American citizen, living in the UK for the last 31 years. I am shocked and in mourning for my fellow countrymen and women and I am outraged by this cowardly attack. I am also concerned about the undermining of civil liberties that will inevitably follow as people use this atrocity to justify more and more monitoring and intrusion into ordinary people's lives. I want someone to blame. I only hope that some good will ultimately flow from this terrible day.

Sue: I have read the comments already on your page and totally agree with the horror at the abomination of yesterday's events. However, I have to disagree with a couple of the people in as much as how can religious factions create such atrocities. Surely their belief is in a God, of some description. Religion should be banned then perhaps people would learn to live and let live.

Ian Upton: I thought I was watching one of those disater movies so I pressed the mute button to reintroduce the sound. I stood frozen for almost an hour then I slumped down in my chair with tears rolling down my cheeks. I knew and felt in my heart that this would take the world into an unknown dimension.

Elizabeth: As we sit in our busy offices here in the UK, we have the luxury of distance. We are reading about the horrific events in today's newspapers, watching the reports on television as we drink our coffee and shake our heads in disbelief. We have not been thrown into Hell on Earth - it is not on our doorstep. The dust and soot that herald's a thousand deaths does not pollute the air we breathe. We should all pause for a moment and be grateful that, when work finishes, we will be returning to our loved ones. There are many in America who will not be. Daughters, mothers, sons and fathers. In today's hectic and 'don't have time' lifestyle, it's easy to forget how precious the gift of life is. My thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible act of evil.

Jack Reacher: Although there are clearly some misguided psychopaths out there, America and the UK kill innocent women and children every day as a direct result of aerial bombing, foreign policies and the supreme belief that the rest of the world must live the same way as us. This atrocity is horrific, and I am shocked, but the urge to call brothers to arms and kill the perpetrators are the same feelings felt by some 'extremists' when their women and children are killed. Let's think before we start a war we can't win.

Julia Watson: The feeling of panic and fright I have is a very uncomfortable feeling. I can only liken it to how people felt when Winston Churchill announced that the UK had gone to war. My thoughts although with all Americans can only turn to 'what will happen next'?

Tom Lynch: In America, the Palestinian plight was slowly gaining favour with the public, but after seeing footage of Palestinians rejoicing over this horrific event, all momentum has been lost, whether those responsible are Arabs or not. Hopefully there won't be a rush to judgement, but once the evidence uncovers who's to blame, God have mercy on their souls because America won't!

John Morgan: Whilst sympathising totally with the victims and their families, I am astonished at the narrow-mindedness of some of the comments.

This is not a time to escalate violence, but rather to take a step back and think about the root causes of the problem - as in, why do these people hate America so much? It's time to re-evaluate dubious US foreign policies, and to question whether there is any need for them to interfere in the affairs of the Middle East at all.

For what it's worth, US foreign policies over the last few decades have killed far more innocent civilians than any terrorist group ever will, but I don't see people denouncing them for terrorism and murder. Apparently killing innocent people is OK, so long as you're a Western government.

Thomas Beavers: It is very sad to me to see so many of the readers say "America got what they deserved" or similiar. Is America perfect? No. Have America's policies hurt other nations? Occasionally, I would think so. But I don't see America flying commercial airliners into other nations high-rise buildings and refusing to take responsibility. This was a direct attack on a civilian target by cowards that dare not show their faces. There is a big difference between ignoring problems you create while pursuing your own goals, versus intentionally killing tens of thousands of people who will never know who you are.

Jen: While Jack Straw, George Bush talk about reprisals and hunting down the people who carried out this attack we need to remember that we all live in a multi-cultural society. We have only just begun to forget the awful riots that hit our communities over the summer in places such as Oldham and Burnley. However shocked, hurt and angry we feel now we must remember the people who carried out these attacks were fundamentalists and extremists - this is not a war against Islam and must not become one for the sake of our communities.

Story filed: 14:37 Wednesday 12th September 2001

• Readers respond to Question Time furore 16:31 Friday 14th September 2001
• Users give their view on Question Time controversy - adds 15:42 Friday 14th September 2001
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