Editorial: US deserves PM's unalloyed support

Commendably, the Prime Minister cancelled her appointments in Europe this week and caught the first available return flight. The attack on New York and Washington was an attack on all who live and prosper in the system of law, liberties and commerce that the United States exemplifies and protects. Around the world, national leaders are declaring their determination to help the United States to find and to punish whoever may be responsible for the atrocity.

Helen Clark, on her return, was no exception, though she was careful to offer support to an "international effort" rather than to the United States by name. The distinction may be no more than semantic; there will be no international response without US leadership and the US will respond this time with or without a coalition of support. But it is regrettable that, on this occasion at least, Helen Clark cannot declare herself unequivocally behind that country.

She is not the only national representative in the West to be wary of the American propensity for poorly judged retaliation. It is clear in the remarks of others that they are conscious of the pressure on the White House to hit back on mere suspicion. But so far there is every sign the Bush Administration will not make that mistake.

An organisation capable of planning and carrying out the attack the world witnessed last Wednesday cannot credibly be answered by an air strike on a supposed hide-out. The US has tried that before, against the same organisation it suspects to be guilty this time. Air strikes are spectacular but previous strikes against the strongholds of Osama bin Laden have been spectacular failures.

Everything President Bush said in his address to Americans yesterday suggests he is preparing for a careful, sustained, decisive campaign. His military and civil intelligence have first to identify the enemy. Already they appear to have discovered who hijacked the four airliners and carried out the suicide missions. Two suspected associates have been arrested. There is every reason to hope the conspirators and their entire network might be traced and destroyed.

Tracing them could require the help of all national intelligence agencies. The Prime Minister has made it clear New Zealand's co-operation with American intelligence remains uninhibited despite the nuclear disagreement long ago. It is fortunate that the Labour Party has never succumbed to those on its left who have long campaigned against communication centres that contribute to American surveillance networks. How foolish those campaigns look now.

If nothing else, New Zealand's connections to Western intelligence make the country less attractive to those looking for a bolthole today. But there are many other ways in which even a tiny country contributes to the security of the world with internal vigilance and external co-operation. False identities are part of the vital equipment of espionage and terrorism. A small, remote place without internal security would be an ideal source of stolen identities.

The Prime Minister says that if New Zealand intelligence agencies say they need to do more in the light of last Wednesday's events, the Government would consider the request seriously. But covert assistance is not enough. There needs to be also a public signal of support for the US right now. An offer of SAS units would be fitting.

Under the Anzus treaty there was provision for an attack on one member to be treated as an attack on them all. Our membership may be moribund but it survives.

This is the moment for New Zealand to support the US in any way we can, and for the Prime Minister to say so, unequivocally.