Included below is a selection of comments on the issue as part of our series of multilingual debates.

The world has become less safe and at the same time less humane because governments fight against terrorism and in that struggle human rights are seriously violated. It seems that we need to renounce some liberties if we want security. In addition we have to think about two threats: the terrorist groups and their massive attacks, and the overbearing governments that punish people who think in a different way from what governments think. Now totalitarian governments can find some dubious pretext to restart wars and violate human rights.
Oscar Torres, Bogotá, Colombia

The war on terror has not been won since 9/11. Instead the world has experienced a lot of bombings and seen many killed. The war will not be won unless there is adequate and accurate information, without which we shall continue to face these threats in every country. Additionally, governments should learn to share their experience and information on terror. If this is not done the psychological effect that terror has caused on the world shall continue as a result.
Thabani Mazwi, Lusaka, Zambia

The world has become less safe since the war in Iraq, which was widely predicted by intelligence services and analysts. If terrorism is to be defined as action which causes the deaths of innocent civilians, then governments should be asking themselves whether they are contributing to, rather than fighting, terrorism.
Margaret Farrell, Rome, Italy

The answer to whether the world is now more or less secure depends, in my view, on what lessons have been learned from 9/11 and other terrorist atrocities. If our political leaders are now closer to understanding the fundamental reasons behind such attacks and are prepared to accept that much, much more has to be done to eliminate the presently ever widening gap between the developed nations and the rest, then the world may indeed be safer now. Unfortunately, there are very few signs that any such lessons have been learned.
Ian, Madrid, Spain

Terror has escalated. Just count the incidents and the countries. As a US citizen, I no longer feel safe outside this country.
Henry Atherton, Sterling, USA

Your average American would probably say the world was less secure, as before 9/11 terrorism wasn't really an issue for them. Ask the question of someone who put up with the constant chaos the IRA caused in London over several decades and you'd get a different answer. The world may be more aware but it's no more or less secure.
Bazil Woodroffe, St Neots, UK

I agree with President Bush in his approach against terrorism. When an individual is willing to kill hundreds of people for his cause, there is no sense in negotiating and tolerating him. This individual believes he is killing the non-believers and that his suicide attack would guarantee him a place in heaven! Although I do not deny the fact that wrong policies are to blame for the creation of fundamentalism, I think strong counterattacks against countries supporting fundamentalists would bring these individuals down.
Arash Avesta, Ahvaz, Iran

In the aftermath of 9/11 attacks what came to be known as a fight against terrorism has proved to be nothing but a lot of hot air. The fight against terrorism has turned out to be only a tool in the hands of the Americans. Americans are repeating their evil plot to become the sole power in the world.
Jamshid, Tehran, Iran

I am saddened by what happened on 11 September 2001, but thousands of Afghans suffering under the inhumane rule of the Taleban probably saw it as their saviour as it prompted the US to take action against them. We, the youth of Harat province, are very grateful for our newly found freedom.
Bahar, Harat, Afghanistan

The course taken by the US to fight terrorism is not only wrong but it will itself nurture and expand globally. The fight against terrorist acts has failed due to the lack of knowledge and failure to tackle the real cause to uproot it. An effective fight against terrorism would involve a thorough investigation to find its causes and also avoid what provokes it. While terror is answered with terror no improvement is expected.
Sayyed Hossein, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia

Terrorism started long before 9/11. What happened is that America just realised it after the attacks on the Twin Towers. The war on terror is long and strenuous. The West didn't eradicate Communism overnight. It took it years of fierce struggle. The war on terror started in Afghanistan and continued with the war against Saddam Hussein. Eradicating the Taleban and Saddam was a stepping stone towards a bigger objective. We will only gauge the results years from now. Although the war on terror has increased the animosity between Arabs and the United States, it has weakened terrorist networks around the world.
Mohammed Al Khafaji, Babel, Iraq

American anti-terror policies are doomed to fail. The cruel viciousness of American retaliation since 9/11 will only make such groups more ferocious and will drive their anger against the USA and its allies to new lengths.
Mohammed Abou Al Yazeed, Alexandria, Egypt

The world became much safer under George W Bush and will be much safer if he wins a second term. Bush defined the axis of evil and didn't hesitate to destroy the Taleban and Saddam Hussein's regime. These are landmark achievements in the history of mankind. Sept. 11 will never happen again if Bush wins a second term.
Noufal Al Jaza'iri, Arlington, VA, USA

A war was waged in the name of fighting terror, but in fact it was just to secure the region's oil resources for the Americans. Billions were spent in the name of the reconstruction of Iraq, but in fact it went to support American corporations. What security are they talking about? The one achieved by Guantanamo Bay - style prisons or the anti-terror laws that violate human rights with the pretext of protecting Higher interests? What a flawed justice!
Abu Solayman, Kuwait

It is very difficult to decide if Bush's war on terrorism is a war that really is against terrorism or simply a new crusade or another war of conquest and hegemony by Western powers against nations of Islamic culture. The tragedy of 9/11 has divided the world into many parts .There are disagreements as to which actions by which states should be considered an act of war. For example, the Bush administration's pre-emptive invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation has been depicted as a crucial part of the war on terror, which in my opinion is simply not true. I'm not sure if there is an end to this war. Nothing justified the killing of innocent people in America and nothing justifies the killing of innocent people in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Abdul Ghafoor, Toronto, Canada

The world is not a safer place. From north to south and east to west, each day we read, see and observe more killings, brutalities and atrocities against each other. It will become more and more dangerous.
Muhammad Akhlas, UK

The world will be safe once all the so called Muslim extremists are wiped out.
Hamid Marwat, Islamabad, Pakistan

The reason for 9/11 was injustice. Unfortunately since 9/11 Bush is still ignoring the reason, which creates more injustice.
Razee, Rahman San Francisco, USA

The world has become more dangerous, but there is a hope as well: people who see this danger and who are ready to fight it.
Mike, Israel

The last obstacle to uprooting international terrorism is Europe, where terrorists have close connections. However the base from where terrorists get their finances, where they train, recruit new members and coordinate their actions is shrinking by the day. Five years ago the world was much more dangerous.
Boris, Boston, USA

The world is unbalanced. There's only one superpower - the USA - who dictates its interests to the rest of the world. This is the source of upheaval. And it will continue until there is another superpower. Maybe, China will take this role.
Irakli Avaliani, Georgia

Terrorism is only an extreme form of protest for the people oppressed by the imperial ambitions of corrupt governments and fat cats. There's not enough of the truth told. Mass media is a tool for brain washing. Maybe terrorists are the only people able to see the real world behind the wall of artificial values and lies?
Alexander, Russia

International terrorism is nothing but another ideological slogan - very convenient because it's very vague. In the past billions were earned through the fight against communism/imperialism. Today the earner is the so-called fight against terrorism.
Stas, Novosibirsk, Russia,

Of course it is not safer. And will become even more dangerous.
Tatyana T, Russia

Without any doubt, the world is less secure now. The aggressive policies of states like Russia and the US only prove that violence brings more violence. There are too many social and financial inequalities in the world today and those will continue feeding desperate and violent incidents both from the weak and the powerful alike. The world needs to recover its humanity to survive.
Rolando Arias, Bolivia

There needs to be an analysis of why there is so much hate for the US throughout the world and that needs to be addressed. In the long run, nothing will be solved by bombs and attacks.
Bob Gon, Miami, USA

The perverse policies of leaders like Bush and Putin are only generating more hatred and more terrorist acts of revenge. Even the UN has lost its legitimacy bowing to the US.
Juan Rodriguez, Madrid, Spain

Adopting a tough line against terrorism has proven to be a total failure. Israel is a good example of that. Those type of policies do not go to the root of the problem, they only generate more violence. As long as governments repress communities and try to impose values and interests that are not theirs, there will be violence. The war against terrorism is far from being won and it is made worse by the current world leadership.
Manuel Hernandez, Caracas, Venezuela

The world in more insecure. I feel there needs to be more dialogue and negotiation to prevent more innocent deaths.
José Lopez, San Salvador, El Salvador