With the liberation of Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States removed regimes that were allies of al-Qaida terrorists. Despite these victories, the terrorist threat continues and no part of the world is immune.
On May 16th, terrorist bombings in Casablanca, Morocco, damaged a hotel, a Jewish community center, the Belgian consulate, and a Spanish social club. The terror attacks killed twenty-nine innocent people along with twelve suicide bombers. The dead included citizens of France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco.
Morocco’s Interior Minister, Mostapha Sahel said that the attacks were similar to the May 12th terrorist bombings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that killed thirty-four people. Al-Qaida terrorists were thought to be behind those attacks. As President George W. Bush said, “These acts of murder show, once again, that terrorism respects no boundaries nor borders.... These acts demonstrate that the war against terror goes on”:
“The enemies of freedom are not idle, and neither are we. And from Pakistan to the Philippines, to the Horn of Africa, we are hunting down al-Qaida killers. So far, nearly one-half of al-Qaida’s senior operatives have been captured or killed. And we will remain on the hunt until they are all brought to justice.”
Al-Qaida is still planning attacks. The U.S. is committed to assisting governments that need help in this global war. And as President Bush put it, “We will prosecute the war on terror with patience and focus and determination. With the help of a broad coalition, we will make certain that terrorists and their supporters are not safe in any cave or corner of the world.”
