This will be an unusual article -- our editor gave us all assignments to write on the current events of the terror attack of September 11th as we saw it from our prospective.

Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from surprise. As a once upon a time marine and amateur student of military history, I have a different perspective and I think you should hear it. American citizens will win this war against the terrorists, not the diplomats, nor the politicians nor the soldiers. Let me briefly explain.

In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this act of terror was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. A ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary has committed this attack. Please, don't take this the wrong way. I am among the last to admire these men. I deplore their tactics but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been comparing this attack with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do with the formidable Japanese in the jungle warfare years following WW II.

These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not underestimate the power of their moral convictions and commitments. Napoleon, perhaps the world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated the moral is to the physical as three is to one. Patton thought the Frenchman underestimated its importance by saying that moral conviction was five times more important in battle than physical strength was. Our enemies are willing -- nay anxious -- to give their lives for their cause. How committed are we Americans and for how long?

In addition to demonstrating their great moral conviction, the recent attack by the terrorists demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare, the three es's, namely simplicity, security and surprise. This was not a random act of violence. This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S. of A. Because of their convictions, I suspect indoctrinated in them since childhood, these men will not go easily into the night. They do not fear us. We must not fear them.

In spite of our overwhelming conventional strength as the world's only superpower (a truly silly term), we are the underdog in this fight. As you listen to the carefully scripted rhetoric designed to prepare us for the march for war, please realize that America is not equipped or seriously trained for the battle ahead that the terrorists propose to wage. To be certain, our soldiers are much better trained than the enemy is, and we have in our intelligence agencies some excellent counter-terrorist organizations, but they are mostly trained for hostage rescues, airfield seizures, or the occasional body snatch, (which may come in handy). What we don't have is the zealot who is flagrantly willing to die for his religion. We will be fighting a war of annihilation, because if their early efforts are any indication, our enemy is ready and willing to die to the last man. Eradicating this kind of an enemy will be costly and time consuming. They have already deployed their forces in as many as 20 countries, and are likely living the lives of everyday citizens. Simply put, our soldiers will be tasked with a search and destroy mission on multiple foreign landscapes, and the public must be patient and supportive until the strategy and tactics can be worked out.

For the most part, our military is still in the process of redefining itself. It is comprised of men and women who grew up with and excelled in Cold War doctrine, strategy and tactics. This will not be linear warfare; there will be no clear centers of gravity to strike with high technology weapons. Our vast technological edge will certainly be helpful, but it will not be decisive. Perhaps the terrorists themselves introduced the perfect metaphor for the coming battle aboard the hijacked aircraft -- this will be a knife fight, and it will be won or lost by the ingenuity and will of citizens and soldiers, not by software or smart bombs.

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Jerry's article, constructed from the e-mails we received over these last horrendous three weeks, reflects the many observations and opinions of our readers.