01/04/2002
EDITORIAL NUMBER=0-09625
HAVEL ON THE WAR ON TERRORISM
The terrorists who attacked America on September 11th gravely miscalculated. They expected that their assault on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon would intimidate, demoralize, and divide the United States and the free world. Instead, the civilized world has united against them with courage and determination. Well over one-hundred countries have come together in a coalition to eradicate terrorism.
In his New Year’s Day message, Czech President Vaclav Havel spoke for many when he said that the thousands who died at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon did not die in vain. "These persons died for civilization, as well as for their homeland," said President Havel. "Their horrific deaths and their families' sufferings, as well as the shock experienced by the entire world, have alerted us to the evil existing in this world."
Most recognized immediately that the attack on America was also an attack on freedom-loving people everywhere. As President Havel said, "The notion that an. . .attack on New York City or Washington, D.C., would also constitute an attack on Prague would have seemed until recently like a mere cliché. Yet today, this is an accurate description of the state of affairs. I believe [the September 11th attacks] will strengthen within us an awareness that we are not merely citizens of the Czech Republic [but we are also] inhabitants of this planet whose destinies have perhaps never before been so firmly intertwined by a single incident."
The determination to defend civilization against terrorism has already yielded important results. Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terrorist network and its Taleban sponsors have been routed from their Afghanistan base. Law enforcement worldwide is sharing information to apprehend terrorists before they can strike. The flow of financing is being cut off, seriously disrupting terrorist operations.
But these steps are just the beginning of a long campaign. As President Havel said, the September 11th attacks "demand a willingness to struggle for fundamental human values."