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?

Kev: I personally do not think bin Laden was involved in the New York and Washington terrorist attacks. It is the work of an Islamic separatist group inside America and the USA would be shocked to see that this is the work of a small group of people.

Bevereley: I feel a distinct need to express my sincere appreciation to the British

people for all your support and kindness. You are a great friend of

the United States. Thank you.

Lesley: I was shocked by the way this has affected me and my colleagues at work, looking at Ananova all through Tuesday afternoon to see what was going on, watching as each of us in turn realised the size of the tragedy.

Many of us still don't know what to feel or why this happened but today I found a ray of hope that things might get better.

At 11am we all stopped and in a collective silence made it known that we all feel the same way. Devastated. I don't have an opinion on what should happen next but I do want Tuesday to be avenged, I just don't know how. The Muslim community has my sympathies because they are just as affected as the rest of the world by this atrocity. We need solidarity not vigilantes so we can find a way to move on.

Blodwyn the Gerbil: I ask myself why the people who have committed these atrocities have not owned up to their wrong doings? Do they not have the conviction in their beliefs to be able to stand up for what they believe in?I put it to all those involved in this, that they believe in and follow someone who is a coward. The person responsible, when killed or dies, should not be regarded as a martyr. To be a martyr you must die for something you believe in.

MaRae Winter: I really just wanted to thank everyone in the UK for showing their support and sharing our sorrow. My heart goes out to all of you who have lost loved ones and co-workers in this terrible disaster. Despite the vast distances of the oceans the world is a very small place and we all have to stick together.

Allan McAlinden: As a Scot who emmigrated to the US only two days before the attack, I would like to say I'm given hope by the patriotism, community and bravery of the Americans at this time. On this site I've seen comments about Americans deserving it because of their foreign policy. How can anybody deserve such an atrocity? Does that include the 100 or so British citizens working in the WTC? This is an attack on the "free world", not just America.

Debbie: This is not the time for 'an eye for an eye' speeches. This is a time to concentrate on those people that may have lost their lives when they were just going about their business. The families who have lost a loved one that never got the chance to say goodbye. The building housed people from different countries - we are all affected by this. We should come together to fight terrorism not to become terrorists ourselves. I send my thoughts to all those who are touched by this tragedy.

Kirsty: The three minute silence was very profound here. I work in a busy call centre and to hear the whole building in absolute silence for the first time was very moving.

Colin: I see with sadness, a number of racially-motivated attacks worldwide as a result of the tragedy in America. This assumes two things - that the perpetrators were Muslim and that all Muslims are the same. There is as yet no proof of the first and to believe the second is correct is wrong. True, as with any religion, there are factions that are militarist and are looking to cause harm and destruction, but the vast majority are peaceful people. There is an understandable anger and a desire for retribution, but to attack Muslim children achieves nothing and makes those who do it no better than those who piloted the planes. Once the authorities have identified exactly who is responsible, then internationally, they will be dealt with.

Peter Lusis: This has been compared to Pearl Harbor but Pearl Harbor was a military attack on a military base and not the cold blooded murder of thousands of innocent civilians. Whoever did this has just joined Nero, Atilla the Hun, Adolf Hitler and others in history's 'most diabolical and hated' list.

Neil O'Brien: There are always two sides to every story and there is one to this by the looks of the reactions in the other feedback. But in my opinion no matter how much the Americans have given to other terrorist groups, the tragedy of the events this Tuesday have no bearing on the American government's involvement with Noraid. This was an unprovoked and vicious attack on not only Americans but British, Australian and who knows how many other nationalities that were involved in the everyday running of the WORLD trades centre. I highlight the word world because this is what the towers served, the world and not just the US. Action does need to be taken but not until the culprits have been identified. I finish by saying that my thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected by this travesty.

Jeff Shaw: The whole event is truly terrible. Justice has to be served, but care has to be taken in doing this.

If a single innocent civilian is killed by Nato in revenge attacks on Afghanistan or wherever, then we become as bad as the terrorists. The difference between us and them is the value that we attach to life. The key issue in finding and rooting out the culprits is to ensure that this never happens again.

Andrew Porter: What has happened is indeed tragic and what I can assume only to be the result of prejudice and hatred, fuelled by leaders of Western and Muslim-led countries, who, in the name of 'religion' (actually economics) portray the 'other' side as evil and a threat to their security. Thanks to these unfounded prejudices, this hatred has now found concrete form in the US.

More evidence of this crazy and unfounded intolerance is elicited by a certain Colin Zaremba from Chicago, who is quoted in an Ananova report, saying: "I'm proud to be American and I hate Arabs and I always have."

Well, Colin, I doubt that there are many 'proud' Americans out there who are proud to have someone like you as their fellow countryman. Were I an American, I would be exceedingly embarrassed and distressed by your moronic comment. Have you ever bothered to even speak to an 'Arab', to find out about 'them'. I doubt it: 'they're' all the same, aren't 'they', Colin? Films and TV portray 'them' as they 'all' are, isn't that right, Colin?

It's time that all the Colins out there get out of their tiny, small-minded cocoons and learn to live with others and not spread their vile sentiments across public forums.

Footnote: Colin will probably be horrified to find out that the huge majority of 'Arabs' deplore what has happened in the U.S.

Andrea: I think it is time for the world to join together and put an end to all terrorism and violence within the world.

Tony Martin: Tuesday's atrocities were an affront to the free world. Many are saying that the US and others were getting 'lax' in their security - but on the other hand isn't the freedom to travel relatively easily one of the things which we should be able to take for granted in "peacetime"?

The world will never be the same again because of this. The action of a few misguided religious bigots has put fear and mistrust into one of life's basic freedoms. Make no mistake - we have all been compromised by this, not just New York, not just the US.

Anthony: The Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions all accept the 10 Commandments as a central pillar of their beliefs. This includes the commandment that murder is not an option. I hope that in its quest for justice, Nato and the USA do not kill any more innocent civilians. This year too many have lost their lives in America, Israel and Palestine just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Andy: If bin Laden is supposedly unafraid of death and believes he will die a martyr, then why did he flee Sudan in 1996 and why has he been hiding behind the protection of the Afghanistan Taliban for the last five years? If he really believes in what he is fighting for and his religion then he should show himself. Somehow, I suspect he won't.

Pix: Why are we so concerned about the so-called destruction of the American dream? Why can't people get as emotional about the state of humanity itself. Every day thousands of people die of starvation, dehydration and for their political beliefs. There is no excuse for loss of innocent human life, but this does not begin and end with the World Trade Centre. How many Americans care about the appalling human rights violations that happen every day in countries other than their own? I have every sympathy for those who lost their lives and loved ones in this terrible attack, but I also have great sympathy for those who suffer every day and struggle just to stay alive.

Andy: I, until the New York disaster, wished for peace and I hated war. It seemed pointless and was unfair on life. Who ever carried out this cowardly act is now dead with the rest of our world's people in the disaster. We are all suffering but I now believe that when we find out for sure what country or countries were involved, they should be punished whether it's war or not.

Frank Ford: I must admit that I cannot begin to imagine what the victims of Tuesday's event must be feeling and can only try, but as a citizen of this world and as someone who stands for good, I feel totally devastated - not only for what has happened but what the future might hold. This is a time where people must not be divided by their beliefs, religious practices or past experiences - but whether they stand for good or evil to prevail - that's the acid test we face. 'Westerners' must not pigeon-hole all Muslims as blood-thirsty fanatics. These terrorists are just a group that has twisted what it stands for and has brain-washed people into believing that they do good when killing in its name. I ask those people - where does it in the Koran say it's good to kill?

Michelle: I just want to share my sorrow at the horrific attacks that took place and send out my heartfelt sympathy to all those involved. Whoever is responsible for this devastation should pay, but I cannot think of a punishment fit for such a tremendous crime against humanity. I only hope that the terrorists responsible are punished in a way that won't cost the lives of more innocent people.

Catherine: I am saddened, yet I know that we will recover. Deep within each American, a slow fire is burning. We are discovering, through this tragedy, that we love our nation. We will pull together as we have never before, and with the help of our allies, we will be reborn from the ashes of Tuesday's devastation.

Christopher Bain: My heart goes out to all those involved and I hope that when they find out who is to blame, America makes them pay. Why take all these innocent lives for the sake of making a point? There was no need for this. It has put the world into a state of shock.

Richard Deans: I think they should take all of the rubble and debris from the towers and reclaim some land from the Bay, and then they should build a new building on the reclaimed land and call it the Phoenix Building - this or a monument to remind us all. We should also be very careful about what reaction we take to this tragedy, we all want the end to terrorism but not at the cost of the end of mankind.

Phil Cooper: Living in a civilised society means living by the rules. This barbaric act is a declaration by those people we think of as a developing nation that they wish to remain part of a lawless society. Therefore, the rule book goes out the window and they should reap what they have sown. They worship their gods and guns - my bible says, 'An eye for an eye...'.

Ayoub: I am a Muslim and I am just as horrified about these attacks as anyone, and I am becoming more disturbed at the subsequent attacks on innocent Muslims in Texas and in Australia. Islam is a peaceful religion which teaches tolerance and understanding. Anyone who kills innocents in the name of Islam is committing a grave sin and will be punished, either in this life or the next. If attacking innocent people is the way justice is served, then we have all become terrorists.

Russ: This is an unimaginable tragedy that has killed innocent civilians from all parts of the world. If some wish to blame so-called US oppression for causing it, then I suggest they actually learn some history and realise that the problems in the Middle East and Asia have existed since way before the US was born. There is no blame for this act, other than that placed firmly on the shoulders of the evil people that perpetrated it. I hope they rot in hell and that all their victims can rest in peace, in what hopefully is a better place than this Earth.

Dan Liddicott: After this horrific attack without warning or conscience it is natural to be angry and feel hate for the murderers. In this moment of deep personal reflection and testing, let us not forget that it is justice we seek - attacks on other innocent bystanders who have no more to do with the attack than you or I is neither justice nor revenge, but takes us instead one step closer to being terrorists ourselves.

Karen M: Our hearts and souls go to the people of America. As a young person growing up in Northern Ireland, I have become used to living with terrorism but nothing that has happened here can be compared to what happened in New York and Washington. Our love and comfort go out to all the victims, the families and friends, to those who survived and are asking why it wasn't them and the emergency services who have to deal with the carnage. You are in our prayers.

John: Whilst understanding people's shock, I'm just curious. Why was nobody shocked at the number of civilians we killed in the Gulf? Why is nobody outraged about the countless thousands of civilians wiped out in Central America and Columbia, funded by the US government? Why do you never express horror at the millions who die in Africa every year? And now people are even calling for warheads to be dropped on Afghanistan, which will kill yet more civilians. So my question is: why do you value life so much more highly when the people are white and living in a western country?

Bob Blinn: Who does Pix think she is? Now is not the time to make pompous comments comparing this tragedy to human rights violations in other countries. There are still thousands of bodies yet to be recovered so let our thoughts be directed towards the families of those involved and save the debates until a later date!

Jaq: I am lost for words to express the sorrow that I feel. At this time it is best if opinions, beliefs etc are not expressed but to give respect to the victims and their families. Sometimes it is better to say nothing than to express strong views which are often said in haste without proper thought or understanding. I feel certain that Pix would not have said the things if she had a relative or friend who had perished in America. Totally thoughtless, provocative claptrap was spoken when fingers were put to keyboard.

Tom: I flew out of Boston the day before the attacks took place. My girlfriend is an American and her father works in downtown New York. This horrific act, committed by horrible people, has touched so many people's lives. I dread to think of the implications of these events. Many people's lives around the world will be affected by this and my heart goes out to every single one of them. I'm 21 and think that my generation will be asking for the rest of our lives "where were you when the twin towers fell" just as so many people from earlier generations ask the same question in regards to JFK.

Christine: As corny as it sounds, I am going out today to buy some purple ribbon to tie around the tree in my yard. With so many colours to choose from, here is why I chose purple. Yellow was just too cheery, and would remind everyone of the song. Red would focus too much on the blood that was shed. Black, while appropriate, was just too depressing. Then I thought of purple. It's the same colour the firehouses use when they are in mourning plus it's a holy colour, and it will show the world that our faith in God will help us overcome what has befallen our country. I urge each and every one of you . . . to buy some purple ribbons. Tie them in your yards, to your mailboxes, to your houses, to your cars. Pin them onto your clothes and your children's clothes. And with each ribbon you tie, pin, or clip on say a prayer for everyone who was touched in any way by this awful tragedy.

Steve: I would suggest that anyone who is advocating caution and restraint in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US should perhaps read the report from the Centre for Non Proliferation Studies. The information on this website is startling and concerns Osama Bin Laden and his attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction from Chechnya. Indeed he is believed to have hired former Soviet nuclear scientists to help him achieve his stated aim as reported in a Time magazine interview from December 1998. I quote the article, when asked whether he was seeking to obtain chemical or nuclear weapons, he replied: "Acquiring weapons for the defence of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so." He responded similarly to the same question in an ABC News interview two days later, stating: "If I seek to acquire such weapons, this is a religious duty. How we use them is up to us." So your readers who somehow have reached the opinion that we must be careful in our response to this atrocity should think about what would happen if this man is allowed to carry on a holy war against America. Who knows what country could be his next target. And then the casualties could run into tens of thousands with catastrophic consequences for hundreds of years to come.

Phil Clark: This affects the world not just the USA. I'm a big scary rugby player and I feel totally devastated by these events. I can't believe such evil exists and that the people who would go so far won't even stand up and take responsibility for their actions. How brave is that? I hope everyone will take a minute at 11am to think on these events and the victims.

Brian Edwards: On Friday night at 7pm EDT (2pm BST) step out of your door, stop your car, or step out of your establishment and light a candle. We will show that the world is strong and united together against terrorism.

Kurt Simmonds: The attack was awful and the people whose lives have been lost should be mourned worldwide. However the American nation must not be mourned for; the government which upholds it must be blamed entirely. For over forty years the USA has believed it can wage a consciousless terrorist war upon the smaller non-Christian nations of the world. Its foreign policy has been cowardly and self-serving with the belief it would never be retaliated against at home for its crimes abroad. The abhorrent American foreign policy which has gone unchecked must be addressed by the rest of the Western world now or this will be the precursor to further attacks. Everyone is shocked but the numbers killed by the terrorists in America equate with the numbers of innocents killed by the Americans. Blame the terrorists, yes, but do not decide that one terrorist is worse than another merely by the ideals and beliefs they claim to represent. Terror is evil and innocent deaths are not acceptable whether they be Christian, Jewish, or Muslim.

Ashley Kennedy: We are a country in shocked mourning, and a nation filled with bloodlust. I pray that these sentiments in my heart and the hearts of my fellow Americans cool into reason, so that our retaliation is precise. Because retribution will indeed come, and it will be swift and merciless when it is exacted. If I knew who was responsible, I would personally rip out their throats with my bare hands and eat their tracheas for breakfast. Nothing would give me greater joy. However, I do not hold all Muslims responsible. The notion is ridiculous. There are good people in every religion, and stereotypes are for the ignorant (that includes the stereotype that Americans are all a bunch of ignorant yahoo cowboys). Initially, my reaction was 'how can anyone hate us this much?' But upon further contemplation, I realised that we have been the Bully of the Global School Yard for decades, and that this has undoubtedly fostered much anger toward our government and citizenry. Nonetheless, this attack on my precious people will neither be forgotten nor forgiven. Nor should it be. The sorrow in our streets is thicker than the wreckage, and no amount of heavy rescue equipment will succeed in extracting that eternal sadness from the rubble. But this isn't just about America. My heart and prayers go out to the families and friends of the British citizens (and other nationalities) who were so brutally entangled in this unspeakable disaster. May God give you all strength, and help you heal. It will not be an easy path, but it is one that we are all walking at this present time. Pray for us.

Denis: The USA should give Afghanistan 48 hours to deliver bin Laden up or consider themselves at war with the US. Furthermore, any other state which has announced its support for the actions of these fanatics should also consider themselves at war with the US. Then we can get on with the job.

Peter: An earlier email of yours stated: "Charles Heyman (editor of Jane's World Armies) even doubts Osama bin Laden could have organised the attack and suggests the terrorists may be a splinter group from his organisation." I do not for one second think that a single man is responsible. If your young children commit an offence, then you as parents are responsible. Therefore if you have "educated" a multitude of emotionally depraved misfits how to maim and kill, then you as an organisation (and each person within that organisation), must share the responsibility.

Rick Dove: The sheer lack of respect for the sanctity of human life shown by those responsible should not be attributed to belief in any religion. These attacks were heartless, merciless and ultimately godless. I only hope and pray that we take the time afforded us by the ongoing investigations to reflect and find a way to prevent this being the start of a cycle of endless violence. No justice will be served if more innocents suffer.

Chris: If the Islamic world are in condemnation of this attack isn't it about time everyone worked together equally to stamp out terrorism worldwide and start respecting each other's cultures. This tragedy, when those who planned and carried out these attacks are duly punished, should be a starting point to create a stable world.

Stuart: I think that we all carry the blame to some extent for this terrible tragedy, for allowing a world climate to exist where human life is so ill-respected.

Emma: A second message from me directed to the sadly ignorant 'Kris'. Kris, whatever movies you may have been watching, America did not 'take our country [England] back from Hitler'. England was never occupied by the Germans and Americans only decided to 'pull our butts out of the fire' after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. It is a similarly nationalistic and arrogant attitude that makes your government so hated by people like these extremists. As much as I deplore what has happened and feel literally sick with grief for those killed in the States, I don't imagine you have ever felt any horror for the huge casualties of other countries that have resulted from American foreign policy - for example the American government's shameful support of mass murderer General Pinochet.

Story filed: 14:47 Thursday 13th September 2001

• Poll finds users spilt over future of ground zero site 11:15 Wednesday 19th September 2001
• Ananova readers talk about aftermath of terrorist atrocity 20:00 Saturday 15th September 2001
• More related stories

• Get involved
• US terror attacks
• Terrorism
• Crime
• US
• World

• Terrorism
• US terror attacks

• E-mail this story to a friend

	Send us an SMS tXt m$ge! Our hotline number is 07974 334 075 - we want to hear your news and opinions. Read more about how to get involved.