The misery in war-torn Afghanistan is reminiscent of images from the Thirty Years' War.

Perhaps September 11 could be called the first historic world event in the strictest sense: the impact, the explosion, the slow collapse - a gruesome reality literally took place in front of a global public.

Historically, terrorism falls in a category different from crimes that concern a criminal court judge.

A threatened nation can react to uncertain dangers solely through administrative channels, to the truly embarrassing situation of perhaps overreacting

I consider Bush's decision to call for a war against terrorism a serious mistake. He is elevating these criminals to the status of war enemies, and one cannot lead a war against a network if the term war is to retain any definite meaning.

The difference between political terror and ordinary crime becomes clear during the change of regimes, in which former terrorists become well-regarded representatives of their country.

From a moral point of view, there is no excuse for terrorist acts, regardless of the motive or the situation under which they are carried out.