US press debates world role

Papers expressed concern about anti-US sentiment

International press coverage has been dominated, some might say saturated, for the past month by the 11 September terrorist attacks on America.

The US has spent a decade promoting democratisation, human rights and economic development; if it is now thanked with blind hatred, it may doubt whether to go on

Washington Post

European news organisations have been nervously debating their countries' potential role in the war against terror.

The United States' press, however, has been focusing on questions about America's role in the world, and the domestic concerns about anthrax.

Several editorials wondered at the depth of antipathy felt towards the US, especially in nations such as Pakistan and Indonesia.

'Blind hatred'

The normally liberal Washington Post asked whether there was any point continuing with Clinton-style diplomacy if the only perceived reward was bloodshed against its own people.

The Miami Herald warned Americans against a 'seige mentality'

"Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has spent a decade promoting democratization, human rights and economic development; if it is now thanked with blind hatred, it may doubt whether to go on," it said.

"For all the complaints of American isolationism, it sometimes appears engagement is what truly provokes hostility."

Others said changes in foreign policy were the key.

The Los Angeles Times warned that American policy towards Israel must be modified if America was to successfully quell resentment among the Arab world about its foreign policies.

We belong to the global community and we are enrolled in a crash course in world religions, cultures, conflicts

Miami Herald

"Although our leaders continually proclaim that dedication to democracy and self-determination is the linchpin of our national interest, Israel is the only country in the region that meets these criteria," it said.

"We should not let our antipathy to Islamic fundamentalism trump our commitment to self-determination. To defeat the Bin Ladens of the world, we should pay greater heed to our own rhetoric."

'Crash course'

In Florida, recently hit by an anthrax contamination, The Miami Herald called on Americans not to retreat to quickly into a seige mentality, saying that for too long the US had avoided the real issues in the global community:

"While it's tempting to want to circle the wagons, figuratively, around what once was considered 'fortress America' that's simply not possible," it said.

"We belong to the global community and we are enrolled in a crash course in world religions, cultures, conflicts."

Public health weaknesses

The New York Times refered directly to the recent anthrax attacks.

"The incidents have revealed weaknesses in the public health system that need to be fixed if the nation is to handle even bigger biological attacks in the future."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the American South's oldest and most respected newspapers, echoed the New York Times' fears and demanded that Bush's government pay more heed to its homegrown Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Though the agency has managed some remarkable feats of disease detection and containment over the years, it won't have the capacity to combat a full-blown bioterrorist attack unless the administration and Congress provide the necessary resources" it said.