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 by some Arab leaders that the attacks were the result

of wrong-headed 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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