War against al-Qaida and its direct supporters is justified. Unlimited war to eliminate terror over-reaches our means. Terrorist outbreaks have a long history that will outlast us.

Bush can’t define what the “War Against Terror” includes. The obstacle isn’t inarticulateness; he has hirelings to wordsmith it. The obstacle is the fundamental unreflective incoherence of his project. Bush targets enemies by rage, not principled analysis.

Define terrorism as extrajudicial political violence against civilian noncombatants? Obstacle: Our Israeli, Pakistani, Columbian, Peruvian, Filipino and Indonesian allies are repeat offenders.

Define terrorism as violence by insurgent groups? Obstacle: We support Iraqi Kurds, not to mention the Northern Alliance and the Declaration of Independence. Also, the “terrorist” Saddam Hussein leads an established government.

Define terrorism as material support for al-Qaida? Obstacle: Evidence of al-Qaida connections to Iraq has evaporated, let alone connections to Latin American guerrillas.

Al-Qaida killed three thousand of us, and hopes to kill more. That pales to insignificance beside the deadly toll of Americans and others that Bush’s grandiose, undeclared, unwinnable, distracting “War against Terror” threatens to reap. Let’s get serious and focus on al-Qaida.

David Burress,

Lawrence