By Jim Haley
Herald Writer
EVERETT — The United States is moving prudently and properly in its response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but the war against terrorism around the world could have an effect on his children for years, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen said Monday.
Larsen grew up during the Cold War, but his 2- and 5-year-old children may have to reach maturity under the constant threat of another kind of peril.
"It will be different in some respects than the world I grew up in," Larsen said here Monday. "The difference is our enemy will always be elusive."
Unlike the Soviet Union that was the old enemy, terrorists don’t recognize the sovereignty of nations, and they’ve already struck at the American homeland with hijacked airliners on Sept. 11.
In reacting to the bombardment of military targets in Afghanistan, Larsen stressed that the allied retaliation is not an attack on the people of that country. A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Larsen said this is not just a fight against Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida terrorist organization.
"We want to send a clear message to others who consider terrorism against the United States that this is a long-term, sustained, consistent war on terrorism," Larsen said.
A Democrat, Larsen supports the Republican administration of President Bush, who "did a good job of putting together the kind of international coalition, made up of traditional allies as well as moderate Arab countries, to send a clear message that terrorism will not be tolerated."
Attending a conservation luncheon Monday, the Lake Stevens lawmaker said the allied response is "firm and measured"
"We’re using the right military resources on the right targets at the right time," he said.
By using guided bombs, we’re minimizing civilian casualties, he added. We’re also sending humanitarian aid to the Afghan refugees, highly unusual under combat circumstances, he added.
Bush gave the ruling Taliban government time and opportunity to deliver bin Laden, "and they chose not to."
In a broadcast shortly after bombs began to fall Sunday, bin Laden appeared on television in a video tape recorded prior to the bombings. Among other things, he tried to pit the Islamic world against the West.
"I think it’s a tragedy that bin Laden is trying to hijack the great religion of Islam, which is a religion of peace, in order to strike fear into the hearts of peace-loving people round the world."
In that telecast, bin Laden accused the United States of terrorism by bombing Taliban military installations.
"This is a war on terrorism," Larsen responded. "Bin Laden and the al-Qaida network attacked the United States. We are responding to that attack as we would in any war. His attack on Sept. 11th was an act of terrorism. Our response is one that’s firm, measured and appropriate."
There’s no mistake that bin Laden and the al-Qaida organization are allied targets now. As a member of Congress, he’s seen evidence that the organization is behind the attacks. That evidence he someday expects the Bush administration to share with the American people.
Will ground troops eventually be used in the Afghan attacks? Larsen said he refused to speculate on that.
His message to area military service members and their families participating in the attacks: "They should know that the U.S. Congress and the American people fully support what we’re asking them to do."
You can call Herald Writer Jim Haley at 425-339-3447
or send e-mail to haley@heraldnet.com.
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