Most airlines cancelled their international flights to and from the USA on the first anniversary -September 11, 2002- of the terrorist attacks, as the number of reservations was very small. On September 11, 2002, the USA and the world celebrated the anniversary of the attacks on New York City and Washington DC. In the US the ceremonies were very emotional and patriotic.

The sad events was being used to justify the foreseen invasion of Iraq, although there are no evidence that Iraq was linked to al-Qaida or the Taliban, nor that it helped the terrorists, or that it is planning to attack the USA or any western country.

The Iraqis certainly have some knowledge in the field of nuclear weapons, but they do not have the enriched uranium or plutonium, or the means to deliver these weapons over long distance. On the other hand, they could have chemical and biological weapons, some of them supplied years ago by the USA during the war with Iran!

Again there is no evidence that they intend to use them against the USA, or any other country.

However the world, and especially the USA, is on full alert. One year on, the lessons of September 11 remain unlearned. The human tragedy and the loss of about 3,000 lives are not forgotten but the political, military, economic, and geo-strategic implications and consequences of the attacks have now the priority. They are analysed and evaluated in full details and this will continue for many years to come. The Americans have already planned an aggressive, self-serving process of realignment, reassertion. September 11 together with its awesome consequences are not over, and will not be for many years to come. In fact the US reactions play in the hands of the terrorists who, by these attacks and their follow-up, brought their cause to the top of the global world agenda. Before September 11, Osama bin Laden was a renegade, outcast Saudi terrorist. After September 11, he became the most wanted 'dead or alive' man in the world, the embodiment of evil.

This transformation must have exceeded his wildest dreams. To bin Laden and his followers, September 11 has brought continuous massive dividends. Since then he has used his popularity to become the champion of the Palestinian cause; he has demanded the expulsion of western interests from Saudi Arabia and this is destabilising the kingdom; he has described as puppets the Arab leaders allied to the west; and he has appealed, with some success, to the Muslim world at large to join 'Jihad', the sacred war against the foreigners to save Islam. The US, and part of the worlds, see al-Qaida as the 'storm troopers' of a coming 'clash of civilisation', an illusory symbol of liberation of the poor and oppressed Muslims.

The Bush administration by its words, actions, and reactions, helped the terrorists reach their aims. The USA destroyed the al-Qaida bases in Afghanistan but by insisting on regime change in Kabul, and in the so-called 'rogue states', it encouraged Arab and Muslim's hate of all that is foreigners. By claiming that it had the right to engage in pre-emptive actions, by asking complete obedience of its allies, and doing deals with unsavoury regimes from the Gulf to Pakistan and central Asia, the US lost the moral ground battle. Letting Israel's Ariel Sharon dealing as he wants with the Palestinians, especially identifying his destructive policy with the US wider war aims, is a mistake.

In the same way, the near panic at home that led to overriding some basic civil liberties and basic human rights put the US in a bad light abroad. Of course, on a personal basis, George Bush must be happy. A weak, second-rate president, with no popular mandate became, with September 11, a national leader with unprecedented levels of national support. His exaggerated response made bin Laden, and now Saddam Hussein, powerful figures admired by a large number of people outside the USA. It is a fact that President Bush has made September 11 worse that it was. He did it while, at the same time, he was not able to eliminate al-Qaida.

The result is that outside USA, many people still feel solidarity with the Americans, but not with their government. They fear continuous confrontations, and not only with the Muslim world. This could degenerate in a Third World War, but it will certainly allow Bush to be re-elected to a second term. Most probably, this is all he wants and all he cares for; the price in money and blood has no importance since it makes him, and his industry bakers, happy and rich!

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