The United States should target

all terrorists, not just the ones responsible for the hijacking attacks

on New York and Washington, D.C., said U.S. Rep. Mac Collins.

"There is no other way,"

Collins told The Citizen Wednesday. "That threat needs to be ceased."

Collins, who represents Fayette,

Coweta and several other counties, rejected the notion suggested Tuesday

U.S. policies in the Middle East.

"One of the strongest

allies we have is Israel. We have always supported them and we'll continue

to support them," he said.

Among ways the U.S. seeks to

support Israel, he added, is working for peace in the region. "And

to that end we've supported both Israel and the Arab world with foreign

aid ... particularly Egypt," he added.

Terrorist leader Usama Bin

Laden, whom early evidence points to as the perpetrator of Tuesday's attacks,

has no ties to most Arab nations but to an isolated band of religious

fanatics, Collins said.

"He has declared a holy

war on us and that has nothing to do with our policies in Israel,"

he said.

"He is the type person

that needs to be eliminated, he added.

In a prepared statement, Collins

said he grieves for the victims of the attack. "I offer my most heartfelt

condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this terrorist

attack on our nation and our people," he said.

"Today is a day of anger.

The United States will not tolerate a direct attack on its citizens. The

full force and will of our government will be dedicated to punishing the

terrorists who are responsible, as well as those who harbor and protect

them.

"We know who the most

likely individual is behind these acts, because he has acted before, killing

Americans viciously and mercilessly. I strongly support our president

in the effort to lead us in a swift, severe act of retribution that will

leave no question that America will not allow her citizens to live under

the threat of terrorism."

Collins pointed out that, regardless

of his guilt or innocence Tuesday, it's been proven that Bin Ladin is

responsible for a number of terrorist attacks, including the first attack

on the World Trade Center in 1993 and the 1998 attack on the U.S. embassies

in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed over 200 people.

"It is time for this threat

to be eliminated," Collins said. "And if we find that someone

else is responsible for yesterday's attack then we should eliminate that

threat as well."

Collins stopped short of blaming

the success of the attacks on lax security measures or poor intelligence

gathering. "It is true that America has in many ways become complacent

about our security on our own shores. We have come to rely heavily on

the benefits of highly technical intelligence capabilities," he said.

"While these components are important in keeping our people safe

worldwide, it cannot replace the benefit of investing in human skill to

infiltrate the ranks of would-be terrorists. Humans infiltrated our security

yesterday, not high technology. We must refocus on that lost component

of our intelligence and security efforts."

He recalled a Japanese admiral's

fear following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor that Japan had awakened

"a sleeping giant." "That sleeping giant is awake again

and it will rise quickly Americans united behind our president to punish

those who would cripple or destroy our freedom and our people," he

said.

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