Posted on: Monday, March 25, 2002

EDITORIAL
War on terrorism is not all about weapons

There are many ways to wage a "war" on terrorism, and guns, soldiers and spies represent but one approach.

The other, perhaps more subtle but ultimately more effective approach, is to root out the underlying factors that lead frustrated, hopeless people to resort to terrorism.

Some of this is diplomacy, recognizing the legitimacy of people and groups who feel marginalized.

And some of it is old-fashioned foreign aid, helping people find a way out of poverty and despair.

In this last category, as columnist Trudy Rubin points out on this page today, the United States has a woeful record. As a percentage of gross domestic product, the United States ranks only 22nd in foreign aid. That's not a proud record for the richest country in the world.

So in this context it was heartening to hear President Bush last week tell a United Nations development conference in Mexico that the United States intends to boost its aid to poor countries from today's $10 billion a year to $15 billion a year by 2006.

While the raw numbers will still leave us far from a leader in foreign aid, it is a step in the right direction. So was the language used by Bush in announcing the plan:

"Poverty doesn't cause terrorism. Being poor doesn't make you a murderer," he said. "Yet, persistent poverty and oppression can lead to hopelessness and despair. And when governments fail to meet the most basic needs of their people, these failed states can become havens for terror."

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on the wealthier countries of the world to commit 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product toward such aid. For the United States, that adds up to around $70 billion. So we are a long way from what should be our goal.

It is argued that the United States contributes in other ways, including its huge expenditures in military forces that help ensure stability around the world. Many say that the massive American military presence in Asia is what has allowed the nations of that region to turn their attention and resources to something other than security: rapid and impressive economic growth.

That's a good point. But it doesn't take away from the fact that our security cannot be maintained through guns, planes and ships alone. We need to live in a world where people have hope, and it is in our best interests to help them achieve that hope.