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February 26, 1993, a car bomb killed six people, injured hundreds,
and damaged extensively the World Trade Center. The terrorist behind
this attack was Osama bin Laden. Despite this direct attack on our
country, he paid no price.
On October
12, 2000, the U.S.S. Cole, docked in the port of Aden in
Yemen, was attacked by terrorists. Seventeen American sailors were
killed and scores were injured. Again, bin Laden was behind this
carnage, and again he paid no price.
Prior to yesterday's
horrific attacks, there had been other attempts by bin Laden to
strike at the American people, which were either thwarted or aborted.
But any one of these provocations warranted his death.
U.S. foreign
policy in the Middle East has also sent the wrong signal to bin
Laden and other terrorists. Since last year, America's ally Israel
has been besieged with terrorist attacks against its people. Washington's
response has been to condemn the killings but to call for Israel's
"restraint." Some have even suggested that Israel's use
of American made weaponry in responding to these terrorist acts
is wrong. Attempts at diplomacy and evenhandedness in the face of
unspeakable evil only encourages more evil.
We also send
a wrong signal to America's enemies when defense spending is treated
as a budgetary stepchild. The military's budget should be Washington's
first priority, not its last. It should not be subjected to irrational
cuts and political grandstanding.
But yesterday's
events changed everything. Like mass murderers before him, bin Laden
has underestimated the resolve of the American people. He will now
pay with his life, and those who give him support and refuge must
also suffer grievously.
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