Tuesday, March 4, 2003 | 8:33 a.m.
The Saturday capture of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in Pakistan should put to rest the accusations by critics of President Bush that his zeal to disarm Saddam Hussein has brought neglect to the war on terrorism. The end of Mohammed's leadership in al-Qaida signifies a major victory for the countries aligned to dismantle terror groups. Mohammed is believed to have been the lead planner of the Sept. 11 attacks. A year ago, Abu Zubaydah, another terrorist within the inner circle of Osama bin Laden, was captured. In September, Ramzi Binalshibh, a close associate of Mohammed's, was captured. During fighting in Afghanistan, Mohammed Atef, al-Qaida's military commander, was killed. Hundreds more terrorists have been captured or killed.
Along with Mohammed, authorities captured cell phones, computers and documents that will be used to disrupt al-Qaida's ongoing plans and capture more killers. The war on terrorism may not be as visible as the troop buildup in the Middle East, but it continues unceasingly. Regardless of how one feels about Iraq, there should be no doubt that the war on terrorism will continue full force.
archive
