In a bid to keep his fragile anti-terrorism coalition intact, President Bush gave a dire warning to world leaders Saturday at the United Nations. Speaking in his first appearance before the General Assembly, he stressed that all nations are possible targets of terrorism and must join with the United States to prevent more deadly attacks.

"Each of us must answer for what we have done or what we have left undone," Bush said.

In the case of terrorism, the president obviously feels that sins of omission are just as great as sins of commission. He outlined specific tasks for member nations: crack down on financing for terrorists; deny them sanctuary; close their camps; and seize their operators.

In other words, Bush thinks the coalition must not react to terrorists and those who harbor them, but act aggressively to counter them. We agree with this philosophy and urge the United States and its allies to seek out terrorists before they strike. While this is not always possible, it is the best policy to minimize the deleterious effects terrorism unleashes on society.

We also think Bush is correct in attempting to drum up support for an anti-terrorism campaign, one that could easily spill over Afghanistan's border into other areas of the Middle East.

America must not stand alone in its fight against a worldwide terrorist network. Other nations must give the United States support in terms of manpower and money to help modern civilization overcome a force that seeks to destroy its very foundation.

Defeating terrorism will require perseverance, because it will be an arduous task that won't be accomplished easily. It is therefore incumbent upon the world's nations to stand together as a united front until the major terrorist networks are dismantled.

Patrick Martin