<i>Eye on a crisis:</i> Sighs of relief for families and market

18 Sep, 2001 07:43 PM3 mins to read

Our round-up of world newspapers' coverage of the terrorism crisis focuses today on the Asia-Pacific region.

In Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday reported the domestic sharemarket had rallied in early trading after the massive selloff in New York. It also said that relieved family and friends had greeted hundreds of Australians at Sydney on the first Qantas flight to arrive back from New York.

Under the headline "Aust stocks hold firm", the Age said Australian investors had breathed a sigh of relief that the reopening of Wall Street had not been catastrophic.

The Australian said Wall Street had been "bruised but unbowed", and in an editorial said a war on terror required time, resolve and sacrifice.

The Japan Times reported that the Government was considering drawing up a new law to allow the Self-Defence Forces to give logistic support to the United States should it take military action. The paper also said that 12 foreign Islamic extremists might have entered the country this month.

In an opinion piece in the Jakarta Post, Jusuf Wanandi, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said that while nations must work together to fight terrorism, it was crucial to preserve civil liberties.

The Bangkok Post reported on a row over comments made by a Thai MP who e-mailed US President George W. Bush suggesting that he drop pig-fat bombs on Islamic terrorists or spray pork fat from planes. Other MPs said the comments were an insult to the Islamic community.

The South China Morning Post carried reports on an "emotionally charged" day on Wall Street and said the Taleban was stonewalling on handing over terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden.

In the New Straits Times, columnist Abdullah Ahmad wrote: "I do hope it does whatever is necessary, but in a way that does not breed even greater hatred of the US and give rise to even more martyrs willing to sacrifice themselves in the struggle against American hegemony, against the pressure of Western ideas and the intrusion of American cultural influences and assaults."

In Britain, the Times set the tone for many papers with its headline "Wanted: dead or alive" over a picture of bin Laden.

An unusually subdued Sun carried a picture of a Wall Street trader with the headline "Back in business". The Daily Mail reported that at least five of the hijackers prepared for the attack in Britain.

In the US, the Seattle Times said Americans were yearning for a semblance of normality, while USA Today reported that the public were overwhelmingly in favour of retaliation, even if it meant a lengthy war. The Washington Post said the country was on an imminent war footing.

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