Hey Buck

I agree with most of what you say here, but I disagree that we must act soon.

The right time to act is the time when we have a reasonable chance of success. I don't have the facts at my disposal to assess when that time might be, but my gut feeling is 'not yet.'

I base my reservations on the following:

1. It is not clear whether or not other entities besides Taliban Afghanistan, Iraq for example, might have played an active role in the events of September 11. Before attacking, it is always wise to know the disposition of enemy forces.

2. While momentum is gathering for some action by Afghani opposition forces, both political and military, it is doubtful that this momentum has yet attained critical mass. Given the right breaks, it is quite possible that the Taliban might self-destruct or be toppled from within.

3. Amost any military action that does not score a direct bullseye is likely to be counterproductive to long-term U.S. objectives.

4. Our defensive arrangements are not yet complete.

5. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, American restraint is a powerful symbolic weapon in the decisive battle for world-wide public opinion.

The whole world knows that America has been seriously wounded, and the whole world is watching for our response, and that number includes hundreds and thousands of potential future terrorists. It is a time for justice, not for revenge, and justice can be exacted only when our painstaking preparations are complete, and the guilty fall into our grasp.

In the meanwhile, war is always waged on two fronts. Preventing the enemy from striking you is half the battle. The longer we can prevent or avert further strikes on our homeland, or elsewhere, the less likely those attacks will be in future.

Time is on our side, and patience is our ally.

sp