Editorial: The dogs of war are off the leash

The Taleban must act and act immediately, the President said on Friday. "They will hand over the terrorists or they will share their fate." The Taleban did not act immediately. Its Ambassador to Pakistan appealed instead for the United Nations to investigate the role of Osama bin Laden and for the United States to be patient.

The Afghanistan regime ought to know an ultimatum when it hears one. Specifying the steps immediately required of the Taleban, President Bush said, "These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion." It was a calm, considered warning, and it could hardly be clearer. In defying it, the Taleban must know the consequences. The dogs of war are off the leash.

The prime target is not the Taleban but an organisation called al Qaeda, headed by Osama bin Laden. It is a network linked to other Islamic militant groups and commands cells in 60 countries, the President said. Like a cancer, those cells will be capable of living and growing, even if the source of the malignancy is removed. Many more countries than Afghanistan are going to be drawn into this war if Mr Bush means to root out the threat.

He warns that it will not be a conventional military campaign. The US means to use intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement and financial influence as well as weapons. Terrorists would be starved of funds and hounded from country to country until they ran out of refuges. Operations would often be covert, even in success, the President said.

But, immediately, there will be a recognisable military engagement. The President's ultimatum to the Taleban will be enforced. If Osama bin Laden and his camps are still in Afghanistan they will be destroyed. The US has shown no interest in international tribunals for dealing with those it holds responsible for the death and destruction in New York and Washington. It demands that the Taleban delivers "all leaders of al Qaeda" into US hands, though other terrorists and supporters are to be handed over to "appropriate authorities".

The US is not looking for United Nations resolutions or international coalitions to legitimise its use of force this time, though it would welcome them. It is going after its chosen culprits whether the rest of the world is ready or not - and who can blame it? The injury dealt to the US on September 11 was unprecedented, direct and deep. It was calculated murder of a civilian population in a manner and on a scale that represents a new dimension of threat.

Not only is the US acting unilaterally, it has issued an ultimatum of sorts to other countries. The President said, "Every nation in every region now has a decision to make: either you are with us or you are with the terrorists." Some unexpected countries have declared themselves for the US cause already. The United Arab Emirates for example. Governments of Pakistan and Tajikistan, neighbours of Afghanistan, have sided with the US. Popular support for the Taleban within Pakistan is demonstrative but said to be not widespread.

Where does New Zealand stand? The present Government has never been comfortable in alignment with the US. The Prime Minister has offered military and intelligence support to an "international" effort against terrorism. She urges the US to coordinate its response with other countries. We could wish for a stronger declaration. The world has waited too long to crack down on organisations that preach and plan indiscriminate terrorism to further their cause. Only the US is likely to take the necessary action, and this is the time to lend our unequivocal support.

Several times in his address to the joint session of Congress, Mr Bush stressed that this was not to be a campaign against Islam or the Arab world, and went out of his way to distinguish the peculiar religious fanaticism of terrorists from Islamic teachings and traditions. He made a particular appeal to Americans that, "No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind words because of their ethnic background or religious faith". It is an appeal that should be heeded in all like-minded countries when the action starts.

The President promised the war on terror "begins with al Qaeda but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated." Let's hope he is as good as his word.

Map: Opposing forces in the war against terror

Afghanistan facts and links

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