The surprise U.S. retaliatory bombings of targets in Sudan and Afghanistan has played into the hands of those who are waging this ugly war. Throughout the Arab world, the U.S. action has been roundly condemned, with our strongest allies remaining ominously silent. The United States is criticized principally for taking the law into its own hands, without consideration for international law. For starts, the United States should recognize that this struggle must be fought on many fronts. It is only partly a military conflict.
Terrorism has political, psychological and military objectives.
Not only do its practitioners seek to take lives in horrendous acts of murder, they also seek to promote fear and insecurity. It is also vitally important to terrorists that they provoke a response, a violent repressive response, which they hope will expose the weaknesses of their adversary and cause a negative political reaction, winning support for their cause. As the dust settles in the aftermath of the U.S. cruise missile strikes, it appears that this is exactly what has occurred. While the United States had the moral high ground on which to stand following the brutal assault on its two African embassies, all that ended with the attacks on Sudan and Afghanistan. Arabs and Muslims were horrified at the outrages committed by the terrorists, and they continue to be angered by those who use religion to justify their murderous deeds, thus harming the meaning and image of religion itself.