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When War is Justified

(London Times) Editorial - Saturday's commemorations of the September 11 attacks on America confirmed that the most devastating terrorist outrages the world has seen have not lost their power to shock and move. Those attacks marked the start of the war on terror, a war that is likely to go on for many years. It also marked a profound shift in American foreign policy, making it willing to intervene more aggressively than at any time for a generation. Al-Qaeda had for a decade become bolder because it thought the West lacked the stomach for a fight. When earlier attacks met with a less than resolute response from Washington, the fanatics kept raising the stakes all the way to that attack on the World Trade Center. It is also undeniable that sooner or later Saddam's bloodthirsty regime had to be confronted. Skillful diplomacy might dry up some of the well-springs of hatred. But there will still remain a body of fanatics whose hatred of the West cannot be satisfied by any political solution, and we have no choice but to fight. The critics can carp. But think how loudly they would be wailing had Washington retreated into fortress America.
2004-09-13 00:00:00
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