Osama bin Laden remains top prize in terrorism war

What has changed since President Bush proclaimed to the world that the United States wanted Osama bin Laden "dead or alive?" Nothing, as far as we can tell, other than the fact that bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 murderous terrorist attacks on America's mainland, has eluded capture and no one can confirm that he is dead.
Shortly after the attacks, which claimed more than 3,000 lives in New York, Washington and Western Pennsylvania, the president made it clear to the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan that their harboring of bin Laden and his Al-Qaida terrorist organization had made them enemies of the United States. Bush a set a deadline for the Taliban to hand over the world's leading terrorist and when the deadline passed, the U.S., with the backing of allies such as Britain and Pakistan, invaded Afghanistan. The result: the Taliban are no longer in power, an interim government has been installed, and bin Laden is missing.
His capture, or confirmation of his death must remain a priority for this country. Sixty percent of the American people polled say they are willing to risk large numbers of casualties among U.S. troops in order to capture or kill bin Laden.
Hence we were struck by the page one story in Friday's Vindicator headlined, "Focus to find Osama fades." The following paragraph says it all: "Exactly 146 days after the U.S. military launched its war on terrorism, the man most wanted by President Bush as the 'evil-doer' behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks remains at large -- a fact that the Pentagon is working hard to downplay."
Rallying cry: The idea that bin Laden no longer matters is ludicrous. So long as he isn't brought to justice his Al-Qaida network will have its rallying cry.
Terrorists don't work in isolation and don't carry out worldwide murderous acts without believing in a cause. And in the case of Al-Qaida, the cause has been defined by bin Laden, a millionaire Saudi Arabian who has used his money to push his brand of Islamic fundamentalism.
His anti-Jewish, anti-American rhetoric has enflamed the passions of his followers, so that when he instructed 20 disciples to hijack American commercial jetliners and crash them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, they did. The terrorists gave their lives for bin Laden.
That is why his capture or his death must remain a top priority for the United States.