Sir

Your correspondent Morton K. Brussel is wrong (“Don't use terrorism as an excuse for militarism”; Nature 414, 249; 2001). We are not in a new war promoted by the Bush administration. We are responding to an unprovoked attack that is a threat to civilized life. This is understood by the whole world, and we have the support of all the leading powers, east and west. To call this “yielding to the politics of an uncivil society” is amazing nihilism. I do not understand such ignorance in our academic community.