"I don't want to talk about it," many said. "It" is the subject that is dominating the world: terrorism. With all the delegates from different countries present under one roof-one must ask the question: "Can the WTO-by removing trade barriers which may eventually lift a country from poverty-solve the problem of terrorism?"

According to New Zealand delegate, Stephen Jacobi, the WTO does have a role to play. "I believe terrorism comes from despair and lack of opportunities," he said. "The WTO is about creating opportunities, jobs, addressing justice by insuring that countries excluded from trading are included." Events like the September 11 attacks can only occur in a world filled with "despair and injustice," he said. "The WTO can do something about it." Most delegates refused to comment. However, South African delegate Jhon Davies, agreed to give his view. "The WTO can address root causes by bringing about a more equitable trading system," he said. "There is an indirect link between poverty and terrorism. But saying that poverty is the only contributing factor is too simplistic." The perception in the Middle East is that the motivation for terrorism is because of the biased US stand with Israel and its perceived double standard in the region. As one delegate-who requested not to be named-put it: "Look at the Palestinians being killed like dogs," he said. "Nobody bothers. Is the blood of Americans more valuable than the Arabs? Poverty could be one of the reasons for terrorism but that's only one explanation."

Arab and Muslim countries have strongly condemned the September 11 attacks. Many Arab officials have been calling out in vain for the US to address Arab grievances to allay some of the anger amongst the people-a potentially dangerous anger that is being manipulated for recruitment into terrorist organizations. The perceptions-whether true or not-are real. The list of Arab grievances is long. Explanations have yet to be given. Some of the Arab grievances include:

o The United States turned a blind eye to Israel's invasion and occupation of Lebanon, but it mounted an international coalition to oust Iraq from Kuwait when America's oil supplies were threatened. o UN resolutions against Israel are vetoed or diluted by America in the Security Council, even if, as is sometimes the case, the United States and Israel stand opposed to everyone else.

The US government must have known about this pan-Arab rage, which has been boiling for years. And yet their foreign policy in the Middle East remained largely unchanged. In fact, some in the Arab world have difficulty differentiating between the US and Israel. "Why the talk of terrorism during the WTO conference?" asked one delegate. Considering that the September 11 attack affected much of the world economy, how can the two be separated? Still more delegates refused to comment.