#1 - RW 273
Russian press says US lost many allies after post-Sept 11 goodwill
September 11, 2003
AFP

Russia's press marked September 11 on Thursday by regretting that Washington squandered the outpouring of international goodwill after the suicide attacks by launching the hotly-contested invasion of Iraq.

And as Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov paid tribute on the second-year anniversary of the strikes, he urged the United States to seek global "solidarity" in its future anti-terror campaigns.

Some newspapers said both Europe and Russia had become confused by President George W. Bush's global ambitions after initially rallying behind the United States in a genuine outpouring of grief two years ago.

"A year ago, it seemed that our goals were simple, clear, obvious and honorable. But today it seems that one year ago, we were wrong," the authoritative Izvestia newspaper observed in a special commentary.

"Two years ago international terrorists declared war on the United States -- and thus on the entire civilized world," Izvestia said.

But Izvestia noted a global coalition that once formed behind the United States has since splintered after Washington ignored other nations' strong reservations over the need to attack Iraq.

"Today, on the second anniversary, everything has changed. The logic no longer works. The (anti-terror) coalition has fallen apart.

"For the United States, France and Germany are no longer partners but part of an 'old Europe.' And there are clouds on the horizon over (Washington's) relations with Moscow. And there is one main reason for this -- Iraq," said the centrist daily.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was the first world leader to call Bush and deliver his condolences two years ago.

And a few months later he opened Russia's airspace and former Soviet military bases in Central Asia to assist the US-led campaign in Afghanistan.

But the tone in Moscow was far more sarcastic on this second anniversary.

"Indestructible and legendary -- al-Qaeda has turned two years old," the Kommersant business daily said in a irony-laced headline that ran above a photograph of Ground Zero, the site of the twin towers that fell in New York.

Meanwhile the Gazeta daily ran a special insert made up of two black pages commemorating the anniversary and quoting Bush's speeches on the war on terror.

But it also observed that only a fraction of alleged al-Qaeda suspects put on the US most-wanted list had been captured in the Afghan campaign.

There were no official Russian ceremonies planned for September 11 but Moscow's foreign minister issued a statement saying his country was grieving together with the United States -- also urging Washington to seek compromises with its allies.

"This day marked the start of a new stage in the fight for the very survival of humanity -- in the fight against new dangers and challenges," Ivanov said.

"Everyone has now been convinced that we can only win this fight if the entire international community works together, with solidarity," Ivanov said in a clear reference to the US decision not to seek the United Nations' formal approval of its war in Iraq.

The US ambassador Alexander Vershbow was due to lay a wreath before a Moscow theater that saw Chechen rebels take some 800 civilians hostage last October and then attend a church ceremony.

Vershbow aimed to show the two nations were still united in their war on terror.

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