Faceless enemies

Editorial

As the world faces the prospect of an extended war on terrorism, laid out by President Bush in his forceful State of the Union message Jan. 29, it becomes increasingly evident that the enemy we're fighting is as undefined as the length of the conflict.

While Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat has showed the world his true colors in recent months by his incapacity - or refusal - to rein in the forces of terror, he has relegated himself to status as the mere symbol of Palestinian resistance. He has boxed himself into a corner, confined to his Ramallah headquarters, an ever less credible partner for peace.

Clearly Arafat believes the justness of the Palestinian cause condones the callousness of his actions. But it is slowly becoming clear to the global community that Arafat, like the folk-tale emperor, is wearing no clothes. Under the crisp military khakis and checkered kaffiyeh, he is nothing more than a terrorist thug who plays on the emotions of the Palestinian street.

The world is beginning to see the flimsiness of his argument, as it confronts evidence of unbridled terror in Israel and elsewhere and the frightening prospect of the use of biochemical and nuclear weapons. Terror begets terror; unchecked, we will destroy our enemies as we destroy ourselves.

Then there's Osama bin Laden, poster boy for the heinous attacks on Sept. 11. It's increasingly evident that Al Qaida extends far beyond its leader, far beyond his Afghani training camps, far beyond the four men who piloted the lethal planes in the September attack. Bin Laden, who put a face on terror, represents hundreds of thousands of hate-filled cohorts from a myriad of nations.

We must, as Bush laid out, assert our unequivocal stance against terror and then seek to root out those who condone it, those who finance it, and those who harbor all its perpetrators.

Terror is an insidious evil, and the United States is asserting true leadership in galvanizing its citizens and the global community in combating these faceless enemies.

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