THE COMING WAR
August 25, 1998

Following military strikes on a suspected terrorist camp in Afghanistan and an alleged chemical weapons plant in Sudan, the Clinton administration declared that it intends to wage war against international terrorism. Following this background report, Margaret Warner and guests discuss America's continued efforts to fight terrorism.

 

Online NewsHour Special Report: African Embassy Bombings Feb. 5, 2001: The embassy bombing trial begins. Jan. 8, 2000: Two panels deliver their findings in the bombing cases. Sept. 30, 1998: An international team searches for suspects in the bombing cases. Aug. 25, 1998: Battling international terrorism. Aug. 21, 1998: Samuel Berger discusses U.S. missile attacks on Sudan and Afghanistan. Aug. 21, 1998: Diplomats from Sudan and Afghanistan respond to the U.S. attack. Aug. 20, 1998: Four Congressmen discuss the U.S. Attack Aug. 20, 1998: Who is Osama bin Laden? Aug. 12, 1998: A look at possible leads in the bombing cases. Aug. 10, 1998: Could the embassy bombings have been prevented? Aug. 7, 1998: Security and policy experts on the embassy bombings. Aug. 7, 1998: Asst. Sec. of State Susan Rice on the bombings. Complete NewsHour coverage of Africa, the Middle East and international issues.   U.S. State Department U.S. State Department Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism	KWAME HOLMAN: The bomb that exploded today inside the Planet Hollywood restaurant in South Africa was the first declared response to the latest American campaign against terrorism. A local organization in Cape Town claimed responsibility for the blast that killed at least one person and injured dozens at the U.S. franchise restaurant. The group said the attack was in retaliation for the U.S. strikes last week. On Thursday, the United States launched cruise missiles against alleged terrorist targets--a chemical plant in Sudan and suspected training camps in Afghanistan. The attacks were aimed not at those countries but at the network of a man who had declared war on the United States and American interests around the world--a Saudi millionaire named Osama bin Laden.
	Targeting terrorism
	PRESIDENT CLINTON: Our target was terror. Our mission was clear: to strike at the network of radical groups affiliated with and funded by Osama bin Laden, perhaps the preeminent organizer and financier of international terrorism in the world today. KWAME HOLMAN: In the days that followed, top level administration officials said the Thursday attacks represented a new kind of American war against terrorism. MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, Secretary of State: I think it's very important for the American people to understand that we are involved here in a long-term struggle. We have been affected by this before. This is, unfortunately, the war of the future, and I think that we have to understand the importance of having a sustained operations here. KWAME HOLMAN: National Security Adviser Samuel Berger offered an explanation on the Newshour Friday. SAMUEL BERGER, National Security Adviser: What we did on Thursday is to say that while we need a course to defend ourselves, to harden our embassies and protect ourselves, you can't fight this enemy simply on defense. You have to also be prepared to go on offense, as well as, where we believe it's appropriate. KWAME HOLMAN: On the weekend news programs, U.S. officials described the scope of the new effort. WILLIAM COHEN: This terrorist network has declared war against the United States, and they had intended to carry out a series of attacks against Americans wherever they could find them. And so we're going to face this particular threat, and we are going to deal with it effectively. MADELEINE ALBRIGHT: We are involved in really a long-term struggle here with terrorist forces and this is but one stage in it. And I think we have to understand that this is a long-term problem for the United States and the civilized world. KWAME HOLMAN: Since the late 1960s, the United States has faced and occasionally retaliated against terrorist attacks overseas, from airliner hijackings to assaults on U.S. embassies, to the killing of soldiers. And since the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, the U.S. also has had to counter terrorism within its own borders. In the last few days, even as the new war against terrorism was being launched, the U.S. Government was taking steps overseas and at home to deal with some of its potential consequences. The staffs at three U.S. Embassies, including the one in Pakistan, were scaled back and the State Department issued travel warnings to Americans overseas. And in Washington, security was stepped up around government buildings and even some national monuments.