The unprovoked attacks of 11 September were conducted against regular people in major metropolises. Victims were noncombatants — office workers — men and women who had just arrived at work, sitting at their desks. They were mothers and wives who had just left their children at school; they were fathers and husbands who had just stepped off the subway. They were international businesspeople; they were struggling restaurant workers and cleaning crews. They were entire families on airplanes, with children sitting between parents. They were tourists and foreign visitors to the United States. They were firefighters and police officers trying to save others. Similar attacks could conceivably happen again to achieve effects of terror in any major city: Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, Jakarta, New Delhi, even Honolulu. With UN Security Council Resolution 1368 on 12 September, the murders instantly became an international issue. The world community elected "to take all necessary steps in accordance with its responsibilities under the charter of the United Nations to ... combat terrorism." This campaign is not about attempted hegemony by one country. It is a campaign centered on the defense of internationally recognized human rights, enshrined in the UN charter. It is about the right to ordinary freedoms and economic opportunities, and the right to live free from terror. A double standard is present in the criticism directed against the international coalition against terrorism. Al-Qaida rationalized their deliberate murder of almost 3,000 innocents (and their original intent to target over 40,000 more) as a justified means to a just end. But when four civilians were unintentionally and regrettably killed in a building next to a targeted military tower on the outskirts of Kabul, terrorist sympathizers labeled the incident as an "evil" perpetrated by Americans. In fact, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, U.S. pilots were given orders not to be the "cowboys" much of the world inaccurately thinks Americans are. Instead, even with 21st century technology on board, the pilots flew over and identified targets with an additional personal visual check before they dropped bombs, exposing themselves to greater danger. This example of American concern to prevent innocent victims from being harmed was certainly not present in the cowardly act of war that took place on 11 September. One cannot have it both ways. Hypocrisy is hypocrisy — in every faith — in every country. With the support of the international community, American and coalition forces have now defeated the Taliban and al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan. Without his base in Afghanistan, bin Laden has lost significant parts of his organization that provide much of the foundation for international terrorist networks. The remnants are now looking for places to hide, establish new training camps and plan new operations. Legitimate governments neither sup-port terrorism nor willingly allow terrorists to set up bases for supporting operations. Organizations such as al-Qaida can-not achieve their goals when they allow these governments to exist. However, there are sympathetic groups and criminal elements willing to help terrorist leaders and followers find new homes and continue their murderous acts. Governments and armed forces from the region are working together to prevent this. This involves greater information sharing and coordination both among nations and among the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of each country. The U.S. Pacific Command has established a new organization to counter terror-ism. Representatives from a wide spectrum of military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies are working together in the campaign to identify and eradicate terrorists and supporting criminal organizations. In November, General Richard Myers, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed the Chiefs of Defense or their representatives from 19 Asia-Pacific nations on U.S. efforts and plans to combat international terrorism around the globe. This group of senior military officials agreed that the nations of the region share similar aspirations, problems and destinies; and should work together on common tasks such as countering terrorism and the criminal elements that support it. Over the following weeks, I traveled to those countries most concerned with terrorism, to discuss with national leaders our current efforts to combat terrorism and some practical ways to coordinate our future efforts. The needs of each country are different. The Philippines requested and is receiving U.S. equipment and training by counterparts to defeat the Abu Sayyaf Group, which has murdered American, Filipino and other hostages, and has significantly damaged Philippine and Malaysian tourism. U.S. support to Thailand’s efforts to counter illegal drug trafficking established a firm foundation for countering terrorism. Malaysia needed no support to eliminate a terrorist cell and arrest leaders of regional terrorist organizations. Information sharing has improved between India, Malaysia, Singapore and other nations. We are fortunate that the Asia-Pacific region currently has no Afghanistan-like nation. Here, we can also carry out the campaign against terrorism with tools other than military force: diplomacy, law enforcement, intelligence, economics, business, information, media, academia, community leadership and religion. All will have enduring and important roles in the battle. Terrorists and those who support them, including the Taliban — who destroyed the twin giant Buddha statues at Bamiyan, part of the shared cultural legacy of millions of Asians — will ultimately fail. They will not destroy our work — businesses, industry, agriculture, services or the armed forces. They will not disrupt our sports — Olympics, World Cups and Asian Games. They will not deny our hope and vision — for social progress, religious tolerance and economic development. The campaign to defeat al-Qaida and end the practice of terrorism must be a long-term one. For as the young sons and daughters of the heroic New York fire-fighters and police officers who sacrificed themselves will want to follow their fathers’ footsteps in spite of their fates, so too will the sons of terrorists. We must therefore teach our succeeding generations what real heroism is, convince them that innocents should not be sacrificed for selfish beliefs, and acquaint them with the ideas of tolerance and freedom. And all potential terrorists must come to the inevitable conclusion that if Americans and our allies are murdered, the United States and the rest of the inter-national coalition will pursue the murderers (and any who support them) to the ends of the earth. Those who seek to use terror as a weapon to sow fear and to sabotage freedom ... will find that our freedom is the very source of the strength that will ultimately eliminate terrorism.