Posted on 09/13/2001 3:53:53 AM PDT by Vigilanteman
President Bush hinted strongly Tuesday night that the latter will be his administration's course of action.
That's good news.
Business as usual would be a continuation of the failed policy of previous administrations. Essentially, the policy was law enforcement. Following a terrorist attack, the United States would work to identify the perpetrators, pursue them and if possible arrest or kill them. That was about it.
A few terrorists might have been nabbed and a few acts of terrorism prevented, but the state sponsors of terrorism usually got off the hook. The cancer of terrorism continued to grow.
But if the president's stated intention becomes the nation's policy, then he has signaled a major shift in the U.S. response to terrorism and nation-states that harbor terrorists. He said the United States will not distinguish between those who commit terrorist acts and those who harbor terrorists.
That is a significant shifting of foreign policy gears. It means nation-states known to harbor and support terrorist organizations have been put on notice that the fearsome military might of the United States will be used against them. Previously, administrations have been reluctant to punish such nations, in part because of objections from allies.
The president is right. Regimes that support and harbor terrorist organizations should know that doing so is their problem, not ours. They should understand they will pay a high price for allowing their territory to be used for terrorist training camps or as safe havens for international criminals.
It won't be easy. It will take a sustained commitment from the United States and its allies. There will be a cost, likely in resources diverted to military spending and the certain loss of American military men and women. Americans will have to be prepared for pictures of collateral damage,--that is destroyed towns and dead and wounded civilians in nations that might include Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan or Pakistan.
In light of the pictures coming out of New York and Washington, Americans surely will be prepared.
Moreover, it is the president's challenge to maintain among Americans the quiet anger they now feel. It is his job as commander in chief to convince us --over the long term-- that the United States must lead the worldwide fight against criminal terrorists wherever they are.
Americans are notorious for short attention spans. But this time the nation has been assaulted by an intractable enemy. No less than Secretary of State Colin Powell called the attack an "Act of war." So this time, the crisis is different. This time the threat is not only on our doorstep, it's literally crossed the threshold.
They got our attention. They poked the slow-to-anger, tolerant kid too hard, and this time he will use his big stick to protect himself.
Let us hope this act of war transforms America's resolve in the same way.
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