Last week's attacks on the US have been condemned by Commonwealth Parliamentarians as a "fundamentally misguided escalation in the recourse to violence" and an atrocity against humanity.

The September 11 attacks in which hijacked commercial airliners were wielded as weapons on major US landmarks, killed thousands and totally destroyed New York's World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon in the heart of Washington DC.

A US led war against terrorist organisations and states that support them is being planned as a coordinated international response to the attacks.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association interrupted its annual conference, which brought together over 500 Commonwealth parliamentary leaders, to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the attacks and to issue an emergency statement of condemnation.

The attacks were a "premeditated onslaught on the human rights of all mankind," said the CPA. "These atrocities represent a fundamentally misguided escalation in the recourse to violence to meet political objectives which shocks and dismays all who believe in achieving political goals through democratic means.

"The Commonwealth is composed of many peoples who have brought about monumental political changes without the wanton sacrifice of human life and human tragedy inflicted on mankind yesterday."

The statement was issued lunchtime September 12 - about two hours after the tragedies. Australia is 14 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Three of Bermuda's legislators - the Opposition's Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, Government Senator Calvin Smith and cabinet Minister Terry Lister - were present at the September 3 - 14 conference which sought to find ways to improve the conduct of public business.

The Bermuda delegation attended the plenary conference as well as a conference for Members from small countries. Topics discussed included strengthening Parliament's oversight role; alleviating poverty; making Parliament more gender sensitive; assisting Parliamentarians to take advantage of information and communications technology and combating international trafficking of people.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin, the only member of the Bermuda delegation back on the Island since the conference told The Royal Gazette that the mood among the delegates became "very sombre" when news of the attacks arrived.

The work of the conference continued as scheduled, she reported, but with "incredible" security.

Mrs. Gordon-Pamplin who had to transit Bangkok, London and New York on the way back to Bermuda, said that intensified security measures at the airports "gave one a sense that it was okay to fly".

Surprisingly, she said, the "least intense security was the New York - Bermuda route".