The Bush Administration is going to have to clarify a point to itself and the American People: is it seeking justice, or declaring war on terrorism? While the trend seems to be toward the latter, it is crucial for all concerned that this distinction be made immediately.

If justice is the goal, the issue seems to be simple: the primary perpetrators are dead. Attempting to bring the leadership of a terrorist organization to justice with all the limitations of due process will have even less success than operations aimed at organized crime leaders. The semantics of law enforcement should be dropped from the discussion.

A just war is an entirely different story. A war against terrorism (not just against terrorist leaders) will be difficult, but not impossible, to fight and win. But at least it will reflect reality: an act of war was perpetrated against the United States and the correct answer is to respond in kind. War is a dirty bloody business, a bad choice, but sometimes the best of all the terrible options open to a society. If America decides to go to war on terrorism, it must be hoped that it will be understood that there is no way to fight such a war "nicely." Innocent people will be killed and injured, as they have been in every military conflict. In the aftermath of this week's carnage, however, America and the West must ask themselves if they are prepared to allow a resurgence of terrorism or rather are they willing to do what it takes to ensure that tragedies of this sort will never recur.