Acclaimed director and actor WOODY ALLEN insists he was not really suprised by last week's (11SEP01) terrorist attacks in America. But the KING LEAR star praised PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH for his handling of the crisis.

He says, "It does seem that the president, whom I was certainly very critical of before he was elected. .. has got a good grasp on the problem. " He added that the Bush administration seems to understand that "this is not just a military problem, but a social, economic and political problem. "

Allen was in New York during the attacks on the WORLD TRADE CENTER and the PENTAGON. "We knew that no country in the world, no city in the world was immune (from terrorism). We didn't expect that New York City would be immune," he says. "But we were shocked by the irrationality of the act itself. .. the senseless murder of 5,000 people. " (RP/WNWCGG)

Source: WENN