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Latin American Reaction
By Max Cohen

On the morning of September 11th, the United States was the target of a premeditated attack by foreign terrorists. In response, Americans have united on many fronts in an effort to ensure that the events of that day are never repeated. In his recent address to Congress, President Bush outlined the administration's plan for coordinating these efforts, under the umbrella of the Office of Homeland security.

Latin American governments and businesspeople are quickly trying to adjust to a New World order created by the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. The region has stood solidly behind the United States, offering support for its "war on terrorism" through resolutions at home and in the Organization of American States (OAS). Even Cuba, the only country in the hemisphere locked out of both the OAS and discussions about a regional free-trade block, condemned the attacks and offered counterintelligence expertise and humanitarian aid. But while official support for the US government is nearly unanimous, opinions vary on how the attacks and their aftermath will affect the region.

Latin American newspapers greeted news of the attacks with grim resignation. Mexico City's centrist Excelsior, though it lent its support to the war on terrorism, hoped that the next news would not be of more civilian deaths. Buenos Aires' conservative La Nacion wrote that this war is completely different from those of the 20th Century and must not be allowed to turn into a "clash of civilizations." Likewise, Bolivia's conservative La Razon expressed concerns that the conflict might still be perceived as a religious war.

Even Latin America's leftist press tempered its usual criticism of U.S. policy immediately following the attacks. Buenos Aires' Pagina 12, normally an acid critic of U.S. policy, could only fault the United States for its avowed efforts to contact more "unsavory characters" in the covert battle against terrorism. Havana's government-owned Granma saw the conflict between the richest country on earth and one of the poorest as so lopsided that it did not really deserve to be called "a war." Worse, according to Granma's editors, in this case "the remedy is worse than the disease." But compared to Juventud Rebelde's contention that the war on terrorism was merely "a pretext for expanding the political hegemony and reactionary policies" of the Bush administration, Granmna's criticisms seemed mild.

Peruvians questioned whether one of the casualties of the unprecedented attacks in New York and Washington would be President Bush's missile defense plans. Noting that there would be "political consequences" to the terrorist actions, Lima's El Comercio newspaper pondered how the Pentagon could have been so vulnerable as to be attacked by a hijacked commercial airliner.

"It is indefensible that the Department of Defense is so vulnerable," El Comerio opined. Commenting on the debate on Capitol Hill concerning the Pentagon's budget requests for the fiscal year scheduled to begin in October, the Peruvian newspaper questioned what would be the purpose of spending so many billions on a "missile defense" unless, as the paper noted, the Pentagon's missiles would be prepared to shoot down civilian airliners that had been hijacked.

The attacks that occurred on American soil were a low blow on their so-called global supremacy, exposing weaknesses that were not visible until September 11th. The attacks revealed how the United States is not prepared for these types of terrorist attacks. But a death toll of over six thousand civilians makes not only American citizens but also people around the globe call for an end on terrorism. Latin Americans have demonstrated their complete support towards the American cause. The main concerns exposed by Latin American newspaper regards the fear that American counter attacks will result on more civilian deaths. But most importantly, that Americans will have to focus on demonstrating the Muslim world that this is not a war between civilization and yes against terrorism.

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