Amos, as usual you are a voice of reason. I support the right of all those on this forum to argue against our current course of action. And I am not naive enough to think that ths US has never been wrong, or even now to think that everything we are doing is right. But we were attacked on a grand scale, and we must respond. From everything I hear and read, most Americans support our current efforts against al-Qaeda and the Taliban; I certainly do, even though I am very conscious of the dangers inherent in the current situation.

Unfortunately, war is not a surgical procedure. Advancing technology and increased tactical sophistication can make it more so, but only to a point. I believe that the US government is trying very hard to avoid killing innocents, for both moral and strategic reasons. But in wars people get killed, and it would be foolish to think that anyone can eliminate that dynamic entirely. Those who brought this war to our doorstep really have no right to complain about that; the 5,000 plus who were killed on September 11th were innocent, too.

As I have noticed many times, those who criticize the US in this forum for pursuing the present course of action (not for specific tactical decisions, but for the general effort) still have not come up with a suitable alternative. Yes, we should examine our actions and policies worldwide, and be prepared to make adjustments where they are warranted. Yes, we should review our intelligence and security practices, and correct any failings we uncover. But we also have to respond vigorously against those who struck the first blow, bring them to justice (or bring justice to them, as our President said), and do all that we can to prevent a repetition of this. No country attacked in this fashion which had the capability to respond would fail to do so; nor should we.