Terry Everett, July 19, 2004

America's war against terrorism continues to yield results. Despite the gains being made to root out terrorists and remove the regimes friendly to them, liberal media criticism is leveled daily over the progress in this battle and even its justification. From my view, such reporting is one-sided, lacking the full perspective of what the world was like three years ago or the positive changes we've brought about since.

For the benefit of those critics who suffer from short memories, three years ago the United States was directly attacked by a foreign force hostile to our government and people. This hostile force murdered nearly 3,000 innocent people in New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The United States did not provoke this attack. Indeed, it was not even the first such deadly assault on America and our interests.

The 1993 World Trade Center attack, the 1996 attack on Khobar Towers housing American military in Saudi Arabia, the 1998 attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in 2000 proved one after another that Al Qaeda and other terror forces aligned against America have no reservation whatsoever about spilling the blood of innocent U.S. civilians, nor will they let up until forced to do so.

Three years ago, the Afghan Taliban government was harboring Al Qaeda leaders and allowing them to train thousands of terrorists. Al Qaeda was active and recruiting in Pakistan without serious opposition. And, three years ago, nuclear weapons technology was being sold by Pakistan's A.Q. Kahn to countries like Iran, North Korea, and Libya.

Three years ago, Iraq was a sworn enemy of America with a history of starting two major wars, producing and using weapons of mass destruction, and providing safe haven and support for senior Al Qaeda.

Fast forward three years to the present and look at these same threats in light of the on-going war on terror. In Afghanistan, the terror camps are closed, Osama Bin Laden is on the run, and a democratic government is taking hold. In Pakistan, the government is now an ally in the war on terror rounding up terrorists on their border and providing support for U.S. operations to capture Al Qaeda leaders like Kahlid Sheik Mohammad.

Furthermore, today, we have closed one of the most dangerous sources of nuclear weapons for rogue regimes and terrorists with the dismantlement of the A.Q. Kahn nuclear network based in Pakistan. Equally significant, Libyan president Ghadafi has given up his nuclear ambitions and his weapons materials.

Lastly, in Iraq, the Coalition has removed a declared enemy of the United States and placed him in jail. Iraq is poised to become an example of democratic freedom in the Middle East as a new government is being built and Iraq's leaders are working to rid their own country of terrorists. For sure, the road ahead for the Iraqi people will not be easy, but they finally have something they haven't had for decades, hope for the future.

The war on terror is just that, a war. It is not a public relations campaign, but a sustained global military and police effort to rid the world of terrorist evil. Some choose not to face the fact that America is at war with terrorists and their supporters. They do not accept the fact that we will only prevail if we are committed to a successful conclusion. I might remind them of the historical truth that "freedom isn't free." I am grateful that our President and our military have not forgotten this fact.

Congressman Terry Everett, a Republican, represents Alabama's Second Congressional District, which includes the state capitol, Montgomery.