*{http://www.attac.org/fra/asso/doc/doc70en.htm
16 aout 2002

Against the path that leads to war, against the power of lawless capital and finance
The conditions of lasting peace 
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Press Release 
 
20 september 2001 
 
 

 Amanda Galbe & Michel Chastaignet, volunteer translator. Frédéric Champion coorditrad@attac.org }

On the day after the terrorist attacks committed in the United States, Attac expressed its emotion for the victims and solidarity towards their families and the American people. These criminal acts are yet another expression of the barbarity to which so many were victim during the 20th Century. Must we say it again? Our condemnation is total: no cause could justify these acts, nor can anything positive can come of them for any population. Going beyond the emotion and sympathy we feel for the victims, we must now analyse the reasons underlying this type of act, and debate the means of avoiding them in the future. For this we must reject all simplistic explanations. No, terrorist attacks are not the result of a "clash between civilisations" opposing "Islam" and "The West". In fact, this analysis is what fundamentalist groups of all leanings would like to impose on reality. Societies, however, are diverse, often multi-cultural and, most of all, dominated by an increasingly unrestrained capitalism driven solely by the selfish profit of a few, creating social inequality and throwing three fifths of humanity into poverty.

It is within this oppression and within purposively unresolved conflicts that one must find the cause of fundamentalism and hate. Terrorism takes its roots in people despair and suffering and exploit them for its own ends. The will to fight terrorism is before all the will to stop a situation unbearable for entire populations; it is refusing the gradual comodification of all human activities driven by corporate companies; it is accepting to adopt measures which challenge the liberal logic and the capitalist selfishness.

By refusing the deadly choice between liberal disorder and terrorist logic, the anti globalisation movement bears new hope. Due to its fight for people empowerment, for citizen democracy over financial globalisation, the movement revitalizes hopes for a better world. As a international movement which goes beyond national selfishness, it constitutes the best protection against hate and fundamentalism.

Any military action that would identify a handful of terrorists with an entire civilian population would only add barbarism to the existing barbarity for the sole profit of the terrorists. The "good against evil" crusade voiced by the American president imposes a war logic that will harm everybody including the American people. This crusade only aims to strengthen the US dominancy over the world and the power of their corporate companies.

The hypocrisy of this bellicose declaration is obvious when we know that Bin Laden militia suspected for the attack and the oppressive Taliban regime has been actively supported by Washington in the past and that the US government refused any action against tax heaven. Yet it is notorious that tax heaven are used by mafias and terrorist organizations to finance their criminal activity. George W. Bush had to finally admit it when he announced that the "war" he intend to enter, will also include a financial side. Other governments such as UK so far refractory to any serious financial control are also following this resolution.

The height of the system immorality has been reached, and the proof that money can be made on anything especially death, with the allegation that Bin Laden as an efficient Wall Street trader experienced in obscure speculative operations, would have made an important amount of money by playing with the consequences on the stock exchange of the NY and Washington attacks. With this situation, a proof of the righteousness of its campaigns against lawless finance and for the regulation of money flow, Attac is more than ever determined to follow the core of its action: the fight against the perverse aspect of global capitalism. All previously planned initiatives will be pursued. Here is the list of the main ones until the end of the year:

September 22nd and 23rd, for the meeting of the Ecofin Council in Liège: a week-end of mobilisation for the setting of a Tobin tax in Europe. Attac will send representatives to the union protest of the 21st of September and will participate the 22nd and 23rd in the same city to the European citizen Congress organised by Attac Belgium in partnership with FGTB, CSC and the union of Belgium NGO's.

September 29th in Paris, Attac will participate to the demonstration for Afghan Women Rights

November 10th, demonstrations against the opening of a new world trade liberalisation cycle and the WTO role will take place all around France.

December 13th , 14th , 15th Attac will participate to the union initiatives planned in Bruxelles during the EU leaders summit, against liberal Europe and for alternatives.

*{ Attac, Paris, Septembre 20th 2001 }