A defining moment in history

Last Tuesday was another such moment. It wasn't just an attack upon America, but upon our cozy liberal world. This terrifying new age makes us yearn for the comfortable certitude of the cold war.

Change will come, though in unexpected ways. There may be war and recession, but both will be of fixed duration. More long lasting will be the little changes - the way we travel, the extent to which we trust.

Terrorism has been redefined, suffering requantified. Reporters have drawn comparisons with Pearl Harbor. The reference is appropriate, but also inappropriate. On Tuesday, the sword did not fall upon a distant military base. It was murder of civilians, ordinary people who went to work and died. The death toll will far exceed that of Dec. 7, 1941.

But the most valuable lesson of Pearl Harbor lies not in the act, but the aftermath. The cold-blooded Japanese attack is fortunately over-shadowed by Roosevelt's leadership. He sensed that the American people needed somehow to be reassured and united. He understood the tie that would bind them had to be made from determination, not simply anger.

Pearl Harbor demonstrates how a great leader recognizes the defining moment and provides a beacon. President Bush must channel American anger into a determination to rebuild and respond rationally. The baying wolves cry out for immediate retribution, but Mr. Bush must resist the temptation to stab in the dark. He must wait for the dust to settle. He must bear in mind what Winston Churchill said to his enemies: "You do your worst, and we will do our best."

Centuries ago, the warrior philosopher Sun Tzu taught that the most formidable commander is he who understands his enemy. If Bush strikes at his enemy without understanding him, disaster will ultimately follow disaster.

Huge events remind us how mundane life usually is. As time ticks along, nations are governed quite well by mediocrities. Recent history has demonstrated that a president does not have to be great to be good. And for the first time in years, America genuinely needs a leader.

Gerard J. DeGroot chairs the Department of Modern History at the University of St. Andrews.

Vienna, Va.

As I sit in my office, I am in tears. Why? I was born in Afghanistan. My longstanding fear has been realized. I knew that Afghan people would have to pay for having Osama bin Laden as its unwanted "guest." The fact that bin Laden is in Afghanistan has nothing to do with the people themselves. He is not an Afghan, and he is not supported by Afghans. He came by force and will leave only by force.

Afghans are terrorized themselves. For the past nine years, I have traveled 17 times to Afghanistan to deliver humanitarian aid. I have seen the pain of millions who are in constant fear, living a powerless existence.

For too long ours has been a forgotten nation - one that paid a heavy price by fighting a war for freedom against the Soviet Union, which benefited the United States and the world. This war helped end the cold war.

The foreigners who finance and support the operations of bin Laden have now fled the capital, leaving behind Afghans who look to the skies and brace for more war.

Let us hope the US government and the American people distinguish between the victims of terror, the Afghan people themselves, and the perpetrators of these unspeakable acts.

Suraya Sadeed runs a foundation, Help the Afghan Children, Inc.

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