I am sorry, but I feel we have to take these mothers out....they are animals and a disgrace to the religion that they profess.....It will take military action to destroy them, and if the governments of those countries that harbor them cooperate, then innocent lives will be spared. We must stand up to them, I'm sorry.

Steve Perry
Sperry3S@netscape.net

Mr. Berg-Andersson responds:

I, too, see no reasonable alternative to military action- for I just cannot see how avoiding some kind of military action and/or other, similar action by our national security apparatus can possibly be an effective response to the terrorist attacks on Our Nation which were perpetrated on 11 September; to my mind, not so responding is just that- no response!

In each of the two Commentaries (18 September, 21 September )I have written in response to the atrocities of 11 September, I have always assumed- as an unstated underpinning to those Commentaries- that fighting some kind of war against these terrorist groups who were behind this, as well as- perhaps- terrorism in general, was the only viable option. My only concerns are: 1. that we go about it the "right way" (that is, make it abundantly clear that we are primarily seeking to bring these terrorist groups to Justice- or, if necessary: as President Bush himself has said, bring Justice to them!- and avoid any temptation to use a military or other like response on our parts merely as an excuse to settle old geopolitical scores in a manner that will only serve to exacerbate the difficulties in our relationships with the Islamic World [by increasing the likelihood that moderate, educated Muslims in the region will become more radicalized] and, thereby, potentially increase future dangers to innocent Americans); 2. that we Americans here at home most strongly condemn those who take out their anger and resentment over the events on 11 September on those who, as long as they are residing in this country (whether citizens or not), have the constitutional right to freely exercise their religion of Islam without fear of retribution; 3. that, in our zeal for increased security, we don't end up flushing the entire Bill of Rights down the toilet (for, should we do so, we will end up becoming precisely what the terrorist groups who committed these crimes against Humanity- and those who support, aid and abet them- would want us to become); and 4. that, should we- as seems to be clearly implied by President Bush's own definition of victory in this long struggle as he himself stated it in his 20 September speech before Congress- turn this into a crusade against international terrorism, we include ALL terrorist groups- even those supported by some misguided Americans who, while as angry as I am over the attacks of 11 September perpetrated by bad terrorists, might themselves be resentful of our then going after those they would consider to be "good" terrorists... like I've already said, in a prolonged war against terrorism, there can be NO "good" terrorists!

Having just reiterated the gist of my Commentaries of 18 and 21 September, I- like you- certainly want these vermin, who cowardly kill more than 6,000 innocent people on worldwide television and then crawl back under the many rocks found in the Hindu Kush, taken out!!