Dave:
Let's not confuse Bin Laden the man, with the defined target, TERRORISTS. If Bin Laden were turned over to the US this afternoon, half the American people would conclude the war was won.
Our President has defined the enemy as TERRORISTS and Countries that support them. His definition is generic and correct - he did not say Bin Laden, Hamas, Hezbollah, or any other single group. We must not loose sight the distinction.
The way things are shaping up some (thus far unidentified) supporting nation will be devastated on a regional basis and rightfully so. Destruction of Afghanistan serves no strategic purpose. Nations supporting terrorism must learn like rats in a maze and in short order that there meaningful price to be pay. Destruction of Afghanistan cannot serve that purpose. Destruction of Afghanistan would reinforce the wrong response by unjustly punishing the currently suffering and uninformed Afghans - and be on par with bombing Ethiopia. That would not serve due notice to the terrorist supporting nation and would prove counter productive; therefore Afghanistan should not be our major target.
When the chips fall and they will, it will be a nation(s) like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, or Egypt who will be found supporting terrorism; this is the only reason why those nations, excepting Iraq, are voicing support - they realize they are on the target list. This should surprise no one familiar with regional foreign affairs. Terrorist enclaves within Syria, Lebanon, and possibly Saudi Arabia are reasonable tactical targets. These are the nations that harbor terrorism and these nations that cheer in the streets as we mourn our dead.
Nations bordering Russia and the former USSR have been prey to of terrorists for years. Did you ask yourself, where are the Near Eastern brothers to support the UN Bosnia and Kosovo efforts? Gee, that's odd isn't it? Now Germany and Italy are dragging their feet. Why? Because they are riddled with indigenous terrorist cells, as I suspect are Great Britain and France.
Israel should be unencumbered and allowed to deal with PLO terrorists - with or without the cooperation of Chairman Arafat. Arafat has an golden opportunity to make his own binary decision -- to forego PLO terrorism and suicide bombings is the right decision and one that must be made for the benefit of Palestinians everywhere.
The other serious questions European-Americans must be asked goes beyond the Near East - how about self-serving IRA, the Crypts and Bloods, Quebec Terrorist cells, and so forth? Americans will loose some freedom; but we must realize that "Arab or Muslim" does NOT equal "TERRORIST" and more that Bin Laden does. Freedom is our strength and it is our weakness - we have a binary choice as Powell said. Either we stop terrorism now or we will become a police state.
It is difficult not to wonder, if these are the birth pangs of Armageddon? |
