Even as politicians from both the ruling party and the opposition today condemned what appeared to be terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC, they also stressed that the United States should review its foreign policies, particularly in the Middle East.

PAS president Fadzil Noor said attacks on innocent civilians, especially women and children, are a crime which should be condemned in the strongest of terms. He also conveyed his condolences to US President George W Bush and families of the victims.

He urged the US government to find out the reason behind the attacks and not simply point fingers at certain quarters without conducting comprehensive investigation.

"We hope that the US government will play a more just role in maintaining world order to prevent any untoward violence in the future," said Fadzil.

Shortly after the attacks on the WTC and Pentagon, said to be the nerve centres of US economy and military respectively, US officials set their sights on Osama Laden, the millionaire Saudi-born fugitive who has been blamed for past terrorist assaults against American targets.

While addressing the nation President Bush pledged a strike back on the culprits. Many Osama-linked Palestinian groups including Osama's Al Quaida movement have denied responsibility for the activities.

Gerakan vice-president S Vijayaratnam urged the US government not to rush into retaliatory measures.

"When rage and emotions run high, a certain race or religious group may become the general target of hatred. It has to be understood that this was the work of a particular sick individual and group, who have become blind to reason or sanity," said Vijayaratnam.

He said it is only with the co-operation of the international community can the "scourge of terrorism" be contained and obliterated.

'Day of Infamy'

His view was echoed by Keadilan president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who said the US government should not retaliate against the perpetrators of the terrorist acts by mounting a massive military revenge.

"Violence begets violence. An eye for an eye and the whole world will go blind," she said.

Wan Azizah noted that the media should not speculate on who were behind the attacks until the American government concluded its investigation.

The MCA publicity bureau in its statement said the largest Chinese-based party mourns the death of the innocent Americans but added that the tragedy had likely resulted from suppressed anger over time.

"What happened in New York and Washington was a result of a pro-Israel foreign policy that the US implemented. It's time for President Bush to reexamine the country's policy in the Middle East," read the statement.

The bureau added it was saddened that Palestinian women and children celebrated in the streets in the West Bank city of Nablus when they heard the news of the attacks in US.

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said yesterday will go down in history as the "Day of Infamy for Mankind".

Suspects seized

Two hijacked commercial jetliners crashed into the 110-storey WTC and another into the defence ministry building Pentagon early yesterday morning (US time).

A fourth plane crashed in western Pennsylvania, apparently killing all 45 people on board.

Though the death toll has yet to be established, an estimated 800 people may have perished in the buildings. It was last reported that at least some 80 police officers and 200 firefighters were killed in the rescue operation.

Reuters reported today that authorities in Massachusetts have identified five Arab men as suspects in the attacks and have seized a rented car containing flight training manuals in Arabic at an international airport.