By Tim Thompson

Staff Writer

The ``war on terrorism'' spans far beyond the borders of Afghanistan, and the unsettling effects of terrorism have circled the globe, especially in the economic arena. New statistics report a screeching halt in the growth of worldwide trade, which is predicted to trickle down to one percent this year, as opposed to last year's 13.6 percent growth rate.

While the United States heads toward economic recession (with its gross domestic product falling into the red in the third quarter and expected to do so again next quarter), other nations -- most notably those in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa -- are expected to post negative per capita growth this year, according to a BBC source.

The BBC quotes Uri Dadush, head of the World Bank's policy group, as saying that the Sept. 11 tragedy ``had a very major effect on the world's economic prospects,'' forestalling any global economic recovery until late next year. Dadush denied that a full-fledged global recession would ensue, due to strong postings by Asian nations like India and China, but said that ``it will feel like a recession.''

Next week, a new round of world trade talks is set to begin in Doha, Qatar, focusing on further liberalization of global trade -- namely in the form of lowering trade tariffs. Members of the World Bank see this as a crucial opportunity to kick-start global markets and fight the tide of financial reticence triggered by the economic tsunami of Sept. 11. Others, most notably representatives of developing nations, remain cautious about subscribing to the policies of the World Bank and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Many developing nations, such as the east African country of Tanzania, have called for a hold on patent and copyright regulations, specifically those involving medication and health care for such epidemics as the spread of AIDS. The WTO has given qualified approval to such measures, the BBC reports, but influential countries like the United States continue to resist them. Enforcement of such copyright laws could cost developing nations around $20 billion a year.

In other Sept. 11-related economic news, on Tuesday, Sabena, the Belgian international airline was declared bankrupt, the BBC reported. The airline had been in trouble for the past year and failed to find the needed new investors to continue operation in the wake of Sept. 11 air-industry woes. Over half of Sabena was owned by the Belgian government, and plans for a new national airline aim at greater privatization.

Another BBC report tallies worldwide job loss in the aviation industry at 100,000. Air Canada has cut 5,000 jobs and decommissioned several aircraft. JAL, Japan's major airline, now predicts a net loss in income, whereas before Sept. 11, it had predicted gains.

The U.S. government has already issued $15 billion in aid to struggling airlines, and many other national airlines are calling for similar packages from their governments.

Some airlines are actually benefiting from the turmoil -- most notably, discount providers such as Ryanair, Europe's biggest, which projects profits of $130 million this year.

In West Africa, Nigerian officials report that revenue from oil exports -- the linchpin of their economy -- are expected to fall by almost one-third next year.