The Russians and the American 'war on terrorism': Lessons learned after September 11

Abstract

Paper deals with the Russian perception of the American 'war against terrorism' started after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon. It shows how the Russian attitudes towards the American foreign policy have changed during the first year of this war - from September 11, 2001 to September 11, 2002. The American 'global war on terrorism' is reviving and crystallizing deep-seated cultural and ideological differences between the United States and Russia and becoming a factor jeopardizing global stability. The analysis is based on data of opinion surveys, official documents and messages conveyed to the public by the national electronic and printed media.