The Swiss press has issued a collective condemnation of the multiple terrorist attacks which rocked the United States on Tuesday.

The French-speaking "Tribune de Genève" leads its coverage of the dramatic events with the headline "War against the United States", while the front page of the German-speaking "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" describes the attacks as "barbaric terrorism against the nerve centres of the United States".

The mass-circulation daily, "Blick", follows the "Tribune de Genève" in its description of the events as a "war against America".

"This is a war which concerns us all," the paper said in its front-page editorial.

"Since yesterday, we are all Americans. You and I. We do not want to return to the Middle Ages. We want to live, not die," the Blick said.

Death toll unknown

The death toll following the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and on the Pentagon in Washington DC is still not known, but most of the papers estimate the final tally will run into many thousands.

The German-speaking "Tages Anzeiger" also uses the vocabulary of war in its coverage, but focuses on the repercussions of the terrorist activity in the United States and beyond.

"Since yesterday, the 'War of Civilisations' has become an option," read the paper's front-page leader column.

"Whoever is behind this cowardly attack has shown the world that for them there is no method which cannot be used to start this war."

Many of the themes picked up by the Swiss press are echoed in newspapers around the world.

The Financial Times, edited in London, leads with the headline "Assault on America", and says the US military is "on a near war footing this morning" following terrorist activity which has "left thousands dead and plunged the country into crisis."

The Wall Street Journal, edited in New York City, reports on the "shockwave of horror" which it says has "spread across the nation".

"The US and its European allies are preparing for war. The first step: Find out who the enemy is."

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