I'm just throwing out options so we don't walk into a trap (in other words, Jihad).

If you hadn't noticed, we are already in the middle of Jihad. bin Laden and Al Qeada have embarked on war against anything Western. To them all Americans are the enemy. This includes women and children. This even includes American Muslims. They have attacked or aided others in the first WTC bombing, the bombing of our embassasies in Africa, the bomging of the USS Cole, and now (it is believed) the 9/11 destruction of the WTC and the Pentagon. And the attacks aren't limited to US interests. Recently, the German government twarted a plan to bomb a high level EU meeting attended by 600+ delegates. bin Laden has said that his intent is not to get the US out of the Middle East, or to get the US to stop supporting Isreal. Rather, his intent is to destroy Western culture and to expand his brand of Islam throughout the world.

And by harboring bin Laden, knowing what he has done and plans to do, the Taliban has effectively been participating in these attacks. If we go into Afganistan with guns blazing, the Taliban and their supporters will fight and fight hard. Most of the World's Muslims will rally together to fight us. Most people in the Middle East already despise us. Even the rich westernized ones who wear Levi's, chat on their cellphones, and eat McDonald's burgers (the WSJ had an eye opening article about this yesterday). With an attack now international terrorism will undoubtly increase. Many more Americans will die.

But you know what? Even if we back down and let the diplomats take over, even if we turn the other check and declare 'give peace a chance', terrorism will not stop. The Islamic terrorists of the world will not capitulate even if we acquiesce to their unstated demands. Instead, they will take our inaction as a sign of weakness. It will tell them that their attacks are wearing us down and that they are on the road to victory. Either way, we are in for a fight.