The terrorist attacks targeting the United States last week have thrown the world's financial markets into turmoil.
Share prices tumbled and the dollar plummeted against other major currencies in developments reminiscent of the chaotic trading that occurred in the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen square massacre and the eruption of the Persian Gulf War in summer 1990.
While calm soon returned to the world's financial markets in these cases, the world currency market could take more time to stabilize this time around.