Collective security

Speculation is mounting of an imminent military strike upon Osama bin Laden, identified by Washington as the mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and upon his hosts, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Before launching a military campaign, however, the United States should have the clear-cut international support from the United Nations Security Council for use of force. Here is why:

The best response to the terrorist attacks -- a challenge to the whole world -- is a unified international response. Such action would be in keeping with the basic principles of the U.N. Charter. It would also be a step closer to the concept of collective security.

In principle, the United States should not invoke the right of self-defense and move on its own or with a small number of its allies. Second, Washington has offered no evidence to substantiate its claim that bin laden is the terrorist mastermind. The unprecedented scale of the terrorist attacks may make application of some confidentiality unavoidable. But the international community will not understand without more information.

-- Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo