1. The document argues that the US should declare war on Afghanistan in response to Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda's terrorist activities. It outlines bin Laden and Al Qaeda's attacks on US embassies and naval ships. 2. It states that treating terrorism as a law enforcement issue has been ineffective, as Afghanistan continues to harbor bin Laden without extraditing him. 3. The document concludes that the US should attempt to get UN authorization to use force against Afghanistan first, but should act unilaterally if needed for self-defense against Al Qaeda terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. Declaring war would deter states from supporting terrorism in the future.

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Declare War on Afghanistan
Terrorism is an increasingly important security threat to the United States. Among other things, it risks undercutting public and congressional support for the extensive global engagement that undergirds American strategy. Many suggestions have been proposed on ways that the United States could more effectively counter this threat. The National Commission on Terrorism, for instance, recommends greater involvement for the U.S. military in terrorism response. Such actions are useful but are only a first step. Even bigger shifts in policy and strategy are also needed to indicate to potential terrorists and their supporters that Americans take them seriously. Specifically, the United States must begin to treat terrorism as an act of war and not a crime.
Take the case of Osama bin Laden. His activities clearly poses a threat to Americans. The heinous attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were only the first battles in an ongoing war. Reports are that bin Laden has built terrorist cells in more than 50 countries. American investigators have uncovered links between bin Laden and the foiled plot by Algerians to bomb target targets in the United States. A number of American embassies in Africa and elsewhere have been forced to undertake extraordinary security measures and, in some cases, to close when evidence surfaced of planned attacks by bin Laden’s network. And the United States is not the only victim as it appears that bin Laden backed the December 1999 hijacking of an Indian airliner and an insurrection in the Russian province of Dagestan. And now the final blow: bin Laden has been linked to the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.
Despite this broad-based assault on global security, the United States has approached the bin Laden problem as a law enforcement issue. He has been indicted while American officials urged the government of Afghanistan, which provides him sanctuary, to hand him over for trial. The Taliban have steadfastly refused. By so doing, they allow bin Laden to function and to unleash instability and violence.
Throughout history, providing sanctuary or support to insurgents, pirates, bandits, or terrorists operating against another states was considered a justification for war. The American Navy, after all, was born when the United States waged war against the Barbary states of North Africa to end their support of piracy. In recent decades the United States has chosen to treat terrorism as a crime rather than an act of war. But the extent of the threat posed by the bin Laden network and Afghanistan’s refusal to resolve the problem have made the law enforcement approach a dead end. In a very real sense, the Taliban is already waging war against not only the United States, but against other states as well.
To end the threat from bin Laden and his network, the United States should first attempt to have the United Nations declare Afghanistan’s support of him a threat to international peace and security. The United States then should encourage the United Nations Security Council to take action in accordance with Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter. Should this fail, the United States must take action on its own. After all, Article 51 of the U.N. Charter states, “Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defense if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security.”
Declaring war against Afghanistan is certainly not the preferred solution to the bin Laden threat, but nothing else appears to be working. If the United States exhausts the U.N. option, provides evidence of the Taliban’s culpability, and attempts to build a coalition of support, the

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political costs of eradicating the threat will be bearable. After all, it is better to undergo some diplomatic criticism now than to wait for bin Laden-backed fanatics to kill again.
Experts warn that terrorism will become even more deadly in the future, perhaps involving nuclear, chemical, or biological attacks. A line must be drawn now. By declaring war on Afghanistan, the United States can make others who contemplate support for terrorism see the cost such actions entail. In this way, it will become more difficult for future terrorists to find sanctuary, thus making them easier to eradicate.