Stardate 20011005.0900 (On Screen via long range sensors): Charles Krauthammer makes a convincing argument that this cannot be a limited war. Its purpose is not punishment or retaliation, its purpose is prevention of future attacks of even greater destructiveness. That, in turn, means that we must fight not just people who are guilty of this or previous attacks, but people who have the potential to make such attacks in future
even if they have not actually attacked us yet.There is a man dying of anthrax in Florida now, the first in the US in 25 years. He was almost certainly not the victim of a foreign attack. Anthrax is rare in the US but not unknown. But watch him suffer and die, and think what it would be like if that were to be deliberately spread in a big city (like the one you live in). The resulting suffering and death would dwarf that of the WTC attack. Prevention of that is top priority, and if we insist on "proof of guilt" before attacking anyone, then it means we automatically cede first blow to them -- by which point it will be too late. (discussion in progress)
Update: Mr. Stevens has died of anthrax.
