Two years ago President Bill Clinton took just 13 days to retaliate with missiles against bases in Afghanistan of groups loyal to Osama bin Laden for bombing two U.S. embassies in Africa. American officials say they know the Saudi terrorist was also behind the October 12 suicide-bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen but they still lack concrete evidence.
Retaliation is inevitable.
Yet to be decided are when the strike will occur, what it will be and where in Afghanistan. But U.S. counter-terrorism officials are now piecing together the elements of an ideal response. At the same time, Washington is pressing for tougher sanctions to be imposed against the Taliban by the United Nations Security Council. The combination of a U.S.-Russian strike and harsher UN sanctions against the Taliban would alter the geopolitics of Central and South Asia. It would further isolate Pakistan, which supports the Taliban, and destabilize the beleaguered military regime of Gen. Pervaiz Musharraf.