Matt Zabel wrote a letter criticizing our military action in Afghanistan. He asked what we as Americans were trying to win against Osama bin Laden other than killing the most people without any just cause.

We did not simply charge into Afghanistan with bombs immediately after the terrorist attacks. We waited until we had obtained all the evidence we needed to link bin Laden to the crime, until we had established a world-wide anti-terrorism coalition and until the Taliban refused to give up bin Laden. And we did not take this military action to retaliate against Afghanistan. We took action to defend our country against future attacks.

If terrorism could be ended peacefully then we would surely end it peacefully, but that is not possible. Bin Laden does not want to negotiate with America, and he does not want anything from America. He wants to see all Americans killed. There is not way to reason with him. The only way to stop his organization's reign of terror is to destroy it. I find it difficult to believe that anyone could still preach inaction when our own safety is at stake.

Osama bin Laden believed that he could shock and frighten America into hiding. We must show him that America will not tolerate, will not negotiate with, and will not cower under terrorism. We must be united, and we must support our nation in the war it must wage to defend our freedom and way of life.