Building support

While the public will not soon know the full reasons that NATO yesterday concluded the United States has provided sufficient evidence linking Osama bin Laden to the Sept. 11 attack, it should gain confidence from the deliberate preparations led by the Bush administration. Congress, with the help of the administration, meanwhile, should assemble whatever evidence can be revealed to continue public support as the fight against terrorism moves from investigation to assault.

No one seems more ready to do battle than British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who yesterday declared war on the Taliban and announced that the deadline for handing over the “prime suspect” had passed. The fight against terrorism is not a war in any usual sense, but America’s ally is playing an essential role in stating and restating the international resolve to stop Al Qaeda. The prime minister’s enthusiasm seems to be properly balanced by President Bush’s methodical arms and intelligence buildup in the Middle East.

Similarly, NATO announcement that its final reservation – the need for adequate evidence – had been satisfied to invoke Article 5 of it charter, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all, should provide formal, lasting support for what surely will be a long process of hunting terrorists. This is an important and unprecedented commitment that will let the coalition of governments avoid some of the sanctions fatigue it is experiencing against Iraq. Keeping the support of the people in those countries, however, will require something more than a clause in a NATO pact.

The public case against Osama bin Laden need not be definitive to be compelling. Pictures of the suspected hijackers already have been published worldwide; linking them back to Al Qaeda would not only increase public support for military action but would provide a better understanding of the breadth of the terrorist network.

Unlike the popular urge to shoot first and aim later, the Bush administration appears to be making sure that its aim is correct and precise. Long term, it is this level of patience that will keep allies by the side of the United States in the years ahead.