VERY SOON after the shockingly brutal events of Tuesday, September 11, Britain, France and Russia publicly voiced their decision to throw their lot in with the American administration to exact vengeance on the terrorists and on those states that harbour and support their murderous actions. These decisions have been followed with offers of military support from an ever-widening circle of countries that are willing and ready to join forces to rid the earth of the plague of terrorist organisations.

Over the past week and a half, the leader of Britain’s Labour government, Prime Minister Tony Blair, has shuttled from his country to continental Europe, then to the United States and then back to Europe. The French President ,Jacques Chirac also travelled to the United States to speak with President George W. Bush and to pledge support for the war initiative. Yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Mr Jack Straw was in Tehran, the capital of Iran, having talks with the highest officials, while the President of Russia, Mr Vladimir Putin was visiting Germany to speak with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder about the shape of the coalition of countries that would soon be waging war on terrorism.

This flurry of shuttle diplomacy is taking place against a backdrop of a rising sense of patriotism in the United States. At all the ceremonies, church services and prayer meetings, there is a growing fervour of patriotic passion. The star-spangled banner flutters from every flagpole, and such is the demand for the flag that Chinese factories are working around the clock to keep the production flowing. The American anthem and national hymns are sung with great feeling, tears are shed unabashedly, and one could almost sense the steeling of the American spirit to fight back so that Americans could regain their unchallenged place as the mighty and invincible superpower of this world.

Meanwhile, back at Ground Zero, there continues the grim task of removing heavy material and sifting through the rubble for bodies, body parts, items of personal effects of the victims and valuable clues for what will surely be the biggest criminal investigation in history. And every day that passes brings survivors closer to the reality of acknowledging that loved ones, friends and acquaintances not seen since the hijacked aircraft were smashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC, are perhaps lost for ever.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Prime Minister Tony Blair reminded his listeners just how much the world has been reconfigured in recent times. His Foreign Secretary Mr Straw was visiting Iran and having discussion on the upcoming war that would be waged against terrorists. Britain, America and Iran were on the same side and wanted the same objective. A few weeks ago, the likelihood of such a meeting taking place would have been unthinkable, Mr Blair said. He then pointed out that if one good thing could result out of the outrage and actrocities of September 11, then perhaps it would be the coming together of the leaders of most countries in the world to deal decisively and effectively with the issue of terrorism.

We believe statesmen need to demonstrate that the cold-blooded and horrific acts that result in the mass murder of innocent civilians and chaos and mayhem will not be tolerated in a civilised world. However, it would be a wry and bitter irony if, in their efforts to cleanse the planet of terrorists, the liberators succeed in taking more innocent lives than the terrorists ever did.