THE world changed on September 11, and it continues to change. As well as fear, anger and despair, hope has begun to emerge from the devastation in New York and Washington.

The sheer magnitude of the evil committed last week has focused warring minds on peace. The Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire, brokered in the aftermath of the attack on America, is shaky but continues to hold. In Northern Ireland, the IRA's offer to intensify its efforts to solve the decommissioning problem brings new hope to the stalled peace process.

America, stunned by the intensity of its enemies' hatred, is also coming to terms with new friendships. Russia, China, Libya and Iran have all publicly backed President Bush's call for a global response to terrorism.

Meanwhile, closer to home, North Yorkshire peace campaigners are hoping that Washington will reconsider its Son Of Star Wars system in the light of last week's events.

Campaigners struck the right note at their meeting in Whitby last night. After lighting a candle of remembrance for the victims, speakers recognised that this is not a time to be anti-American. The US needs and deserves our support in these difficult days.

But it is valid to ask questions about what recent events mean for the Star Wars policy, which so involves North Yorkshire bases.

Before the horrors of last week, many British experts were warning that the real threat to American security came from terrorism rather than a missile attack by a "rogue state". Now that prediction has been so horribly realised, the US is being forced to reassess its entire defence policy.

A civilised world that fears the destabilising effects of missile defence is backing Washington's crusade against terrorism. That fact alone might prompt President Bush to consider whether pumping billions of dollars into Star Wars is the best use of his defence budget at this frightening time.

Updated: 10:28 Thursday, September 20, 2001