The United States has begun its military retaliation against terrorism. Bombs filled the sky over Afghanistan as the U.S. military carried out its first air strikes against strategic Taliban facilities – strikes U.S. officials said will last several days. President Bush and other officials had stepped up the rhetoric in the days leading up to Sunday’s airstrikes, so these attacks came as no surprise.

What now?

As America appears fully engulfed in what the administration calls a “sustained, broad-based war on terrorism,” questions remain.

What is the ultimate goal of this “war on terrorism?” Since the Sept. 11 attacks, all administration officials have said is “to rid the world of terrorism.” That seems difficult, and the American public is still in the dark about what a clear exit strategy is and when this “war” will ever come to an end.

Bush also pledged to drop millions of pounds of food into the nation in an attempt to show the Afghan people America is not planning to fight a war against them, but against terrorists. The airstrikes were important for ensuring that planes carrying the food were not shot down. This is a good move, and hopefully will prevent as many innocent casualties as possible within the country.

The Taliban was warned to hand over bin Laden repeatedly. And whether one agrees with the decision to begin bombing the country or not, action was needed. There had to be a point when the United States and those countries in the coalition made their move. And that point was Sunday.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell