Six Years Later

Democracy can't be prescribed like cough syrup.

After the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, George W. Bush believed he could quickly "convert" several Islamic states to the political system of the West. With violence, if necessary.

Six years later, it's clear that this plan has failed. Every single day, innocent people are blown to pieces and the Taliban spill blood in Afghanistan.

The US is still looking for an adequate answer to Sept. 11.

What about the mastermind behind the attacks -- Osama Bin Laden? Even if the arch-enemy were to be caught, that wouldn't mean the end of al Qaeda. Bin Laden has studied economics -- and has apparently learned quite a lot about building organizations. His "terror holding" encompasses dozens of states -- from Bosnia and Yemen to Pakistan and Indonesia.

Al Qaeda adjusts to fit the circumstances. It maintains an enormous supply of money and manpower. And the fact that it has no central headquarters makes it all the more difficult to fight it.

Al Qaeda appeals to Muslims all over the world. Can people be immunized against the sickness of fundamentalism? If so, how?

Even though the Sept. 11 perpetrators and the terror suspects recently arrested in Germany don't necessarily fit the pattern, fundamentalism and radicalism tend to grow where there is poverty and a lack of prospects. They flourish where people are uneducated.

The US troops are neither fighting poverty nor educating the people in the Muslim world. They are not even ensuring security. And in Iraq and Afghanistan, as in other Muslim countries, anti-American sentiment is growing.

Bin Laden turned the page on a new era with the 2001 attacks on the US. Political leaders throughout the world have realized that most of the Muslim states are overwhelmed and can't even manage to provide the ever-growing masses of young men with bread and work. Many of the traditionally Islamic countries don't have competitive economies and their governments are corrupt. As global competition increases, some feel like they have drawn the short end of the stick.

Only a few Arab states enjoy hefty profits from oil exports. Yet, even there, discontent with the political and social situation is increasing.

Globalization seems to be making the world more complicated. At least that's what the media suggests. The desire for simple answers to the muddle of world events is growing. Demagogues and those who speak in black-and-white -- especially among religious leaders -- are winning followers. Millions of people trust them, often wrongly.

Education is desperately needed. But it's also tedious and time-consuming. Many politicians, including Bush, hoped that violence would speed up success. The reality has shown, however, that democracy can't be prescribed, not even inoculated.

Miodrag Soric is editor-in-chief of DW-RADIO (kjb)