A Call to War

Friday, September 21, 2001; Page A36

THE WAR that President Bush summoned Americans to fight last night began, like many wars, with an ultimatum: Mr. Bush named the al Qaeda group of Osama bin Laden as the authors of last week's assault on the United States, and told the Taliban regime in Afghanistan that if it did not immediately hand over the terrorists, it "will share in their fate." The president's tough conditions, rejected by the Taliban so far, appeared to commit America to mounting or backing a major military offensive in a difficult landscape, with the potential aim of destroying not just al Qaeda's most prominent base but also an Afghan army and administration that controls 90 percent of that country. That is a large goal, one that will likely require time, hard struggle and strong alliances to achieve. But Afghanistan, Mr. Bush made clear, is only the beginning: The fight against terrorism, he said, had given Americans "our mission and our moment."

The larger war the president described will be so different from those the country has previously fought that many of the usual associations evoked by that word hardly apply. Al Qaeda, he said, is dispersed in small groups and networks in more than 60 countries around the world, and there are other terrorist organizations, and other governments beyond Afghanistan, that may be targeted. To fight, the United States will employ not only soldiers and planes but also banks and computers, not only the NATO alliance but also its own network of operatives who can work in the shadows. It will have to fight at home as well as abroad, a reality that prompted Mr. Bush's announcement of a new Cabinet-level position for homeland defense.

"Americans should not expect one battle but a lengthy campaign unlike any other we have ever seen," the president said last night. But as the administration pursues the opening act of a war in Afghanistan, much will have to be accomplished quickly. The United States must make clear to other countries why it is sure that al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden were behind the attacks in New York and Washington, and it must work hard to line up allies for a potential battle with the Taliban. Mr. Bush emphasized that the United States has no cause against the Islam faith or against the Afghan people; his administration must ensure that as few Afghan civilians as possible are harmed when military action is undertaken. At home, it must follow up strongly on the president's urging that "no one should be singled out . . . because of their ethnic background or religious faith."

Mr. Bush's speech was clear and confident. The struggle to which he called the country last night is a just one, and we think he was right to leave no room for retreat. But Americans should not underestimate the sweep and arduousness of the goals Mr. Bush described. His ultimatum to the Taliban is daunting enough; confronting every country that tolerates international terrorism will be an even greater challenge. President Bush rightly said that there may be no clear moment of victory -- that this would be "a task that does not end." He asked that Americans be "calm and resolute." For his own part, he pledged that he would "not yield . . . not rest . . . not relent." As time passes and setbacks are encountered, both his resolve and that of Americans are sure to be tested.