Freedom from terrorists

Sixty years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt defined the Four Freedoms as the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, and the freedom from fear and want. Today, international terrorists are spreading fear all over the world and the main target is the United States. One of the things that differentiate terrorists from ordinary criminal is the fact that terrorists always claim credit for their misdeeds. This time, obviously from fear of repercussions, the terrorists responsible for the destruction of the World Trade Center want to remain anonymous. About the only thing certain at this point in time is that the atrocious act was the work of Arabs. If their intention was to sow fear in the United States, they have failed miserably. Americans are responding to the challenge with great courage.

Unquestionably, the destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center is the greatest calamity that has happened in the history of the United States. Americans consider it an act of war. This is the first time in world history when a war has been officially declared and the world has yet to find out who the initial protagonist is. President George W. Bush called America’s response to the still-unidentified terrorists as "the first war of the 21st century." The first war of the 3rd millennium would have described it better. I always thought that wars were always between nations. Now, it seems that it can also be waged against individuals or groups. It is one thing to have a military operation, it is another thing to formally declare a war.

U.S. Circuit Judge Irving R. Kaufman once said something that could help us understand the issues involved in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center last Tuesday. He said, "Since medieval times, philosophers have recognized the distinction between jus ad bellum, the justice of war, and jus in bello, justice in war. The moral reality of war is divided into two logically interdependent parts. By the same token, we must keep distinct our feelings about the terrorist’s cause, on the one hand, and the illegitimate means he uses to advance that cause, on the other. Simply put, the random murder of innocent people is always terrorism, even when it is perpetuated by representatives of the most oppressed peoples of the face of the Earth." The same will hold true on how the United States will conduct its war on the group responsible for the World Trade Center disaster.

We feel certain that the United States will relentlessly go after the individual and groups responsible for the atrocity, but they will use only the force necessary for the success of the operation. There will be no senseless killing of innocent people. That would be in keeping with President Roosevelt’s vision of freedom from fear. We implement justice when we use our strength and force against violence and oppression in this world. It ceases to be justice when we go down to the level of the wrongdoers. Operation Noble Eagle will be justice in action.

Leadership should be by example.