Papers around the world are marking the fifth anniversary of the 11 September attacks with scathing criticism of US foreign policy in the intervening period.

Arab papers offer much of the fiercest comment, with one daily accusing the Bush administration of attempting to "impose its will on the world".

But in Iraq, which the US has presented as a key front in its war on terror, one commentator asks why Muslim countries are not doing more to combat extremism.

MIDDLE EAST

The American war on terror succeeded in preventing new attacks on American soil, but it increased the feelings of hatred among other peoples towards US policy.

The Bush administration has lost its declared war on terror, after the world found that America did not go to war to fight terrorism but went to war simply to impose its will on the world.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and the US administration is the serpent marking out its own way to hell.

Look around to see the size of fires and massacres and the expansion of battlefields to know what kind of catastrophes Bush has caused.

We, in the Arab and Islamic worlds, are now always the accused.

Everyone's talking about the failure of the United States and the West in defeating terrorism... but where are our Gulf, Arab or Islamic policies for fighting terrorism, its ideology, media and arguments?

The events of 11 September will be remembered as the end of the US empire. This is because all empires collapse when they pursue the arrogance of power.

The terrorists surely did not intend it to be so when they selected 11 September 2001 to carry out their evil plot, but this date has come to mean much more than a painful memorial, and a date expressing unity and patriotism: it has come to serve as a tool in the hands of politicians.

Five years on... not only are all the event's hidden aspects crystal-clear, but America's position in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Lebanon, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and many others proves that America is a gigantic monster which is going to die and is drawing its last breath.

SOUTH ASIA

If Muslims find the right leadership and the wave of awakening across the Muslim world is united, an Islamic renaissance could be derived from 9/11.

The question arises as to whether the fight against terrorism is limited only to Afghanistan's borders or whether the terrorists are also present in other regions... The US has served its own ends to some extent and Afghanistan should now pay attention to its fate.

EUROPE

The Bush administration has accomplished the tour de force of reducing the huge surge of compassion and solidarity which appeared throughout the world to nothing.

It is time to let go of illusions: Islamist terror cannot be eliminated in the short term, least of all by military means.

An America that protects itself from the world by putting the world in jeopardy can feel neither victorious nor safe.

Five years on... it is clear that American people are very confused. The main reason for this is that the Bush administration has changed the real reason of the event with fake scenarios and confused the people in order to seek support for its aggressive policy.

The numerous lives of innocent victims are the most terrible price which the civilised world is paying in the war on international terrorism. No less terrible, however, is the price of sliding down to the rules imposed by international terrorism: by accepting its rules, the civilised world ceases to be what it is - a civilised world.

ASIA-PACIFIC

The answer to terrorism, the biggest problem facing the world today, will be given only if the root causes are found and eradicated.

The discourse questioning who was responsible for the terror continues because the US has accused al-Qaeda of carrying out the attacks, but it should be questioned whether the group could execute such an extraordinary, courageous, complex and skilful action.

The 9/11 attacks have brought into sharp relief the relationship between Muslim and Christian communities. It has brought out the worst in the form of prejudice, hatred and ignorance, which hopefully will be overcome by tolerance.

AFRICA

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since, but the ghost of terrorism is yet to be exorcised. The world must stand firm and say no to terrorism.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.