Press considers 9/11, seven years on

On the seventh anniversary of the 11 September attacks, newspaper columnists in Muslim countries have been reflecting on how the world has changed since that day.

Most are fiercely critical of the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan.

Several say that the "war on terror" has been futile, as it has not led to the capture of 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden. Another says that all Arabs and Muslims have been collectively punished for the attacks.

MOSHARRAF ZAIDI IN PAKISTAN'S THE NEWS

It is impossible on this seventh anniversary to expect any improvements in the Western prosecution of the war against 9/11's perpetrators. Why? Because even as the 9/11 American bloodlust fades, post-9/11 political stupidity does not.

EDITORIAL IN AFGHANISTAN'S CHERAGH

When the events of 11 September took place earlier this century, world politics changed. This and other events rubbed salt into the wounds of Afghan people rather than healing them. The international coalition forces have now lost the people's support because they repeatedly made so-called mistakes. As a result of these mistakes, hundreds of innocent people have lost their lives.

HUZAIMA BUKHARI AND DR IKRAMUL HAQ IN PAKISTAN'S THE POST

In the name of fighting terrorism, the so-called proponents of "peace", "democracy" and champions of human rights are colonizing oil and mineral-rich countries, conspiring to topple some "undesirable" governments and lending support to the drug trade and mass acceptance of fascism in the name of reforming the world.

ABD-AL-BARI ATWAN IN PAN-ARAB AL-QUDS AL-ARABI

Thursday coincides with the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks which have been used as an instrument to wage war against terror and invade two Muslim countries, Afghanistan and Iraq, killing one and a half million Muslims to date. However, it did not succeed in capturing or killing the Taleban and Al-Qaeda leaders and has not made the world safer but more dangerous.

GHASSAN SHARBIL IN PAN-ARAB AL-HAYAT

Bush can say that he repelled the attacks by crushing the Taleban regime in Afghanistan and [that he] dispersed Al-Qaeda and pursued it everywhere... In return, Osama Bin Laden can boast that he is still alive and continues his war while Bush gathers his papers in readiness to leave the White House.

TAHIR AL-ADWAN IN JORDAN'S AL-ARAB AL-YAWM

George Bush wanted to restore his humiliated dignity because of the great slap which Al-Qaeda gave his country, by launching a war in another direction. Iraq was the victim. There was also a message for all Arabs and Muslims, as they had to pay the price for a terrorist operation carried out by an Arab group.

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