It just keeps hitting me. The inestimable sadness. The continuing anxiety. Children who have lost their parents, and parents, their children. Families who won't have even a body to bury, only a place of utter destruction to memorialize their grief. Our nation has undergone a sea change that some predicted, but few could have imagined only three weeks ago.

As we have always done, Americans of all backgrounds and faiths have united against threat and despair. But there is something different this time. There is a greater sense of uncertainty even as we do what we must to support our families, give whatever we can to those who have lost so much and reinforce our commitment to American ideals.

Terror has struck home. We want justice. We want to exercise military force. We also want to end such tragedies forever. Neither America's military might nor Americans' legendary resolve will win this battle alone. That's why President Bush's efforts to build a global coalition against terrorism are so critical. While military strikes might diminish our rage and grief, the consequences could be devastating.

First, seizing Osama bin Laden, even with our extraordinary military capabilities, is no easy task. Read Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down, about our debacle in Mogadishu, Somalia, to understand the perils of such attacks, particularly without superb intelligence. Even more dangerous is the potential for toppling moderate Arab governments, unleashing extremists who despise our way of life and seek to terrorize us again and again.

Events in Pakistan show that many Muslims believe the United States is at war with Islam. If that fear spreads across the Muslim countries of the Middle East, Africa and Asia, we will not only face hostile people, potential coups against friendly governments, and retaliatory acts against Americans, but we will also see the end of the cooperation we so desperately need to thwart terrorism.

Our long-term strategy is what will win or lose this struggle. We will need the continued cooperation of the rest of the world on several fronts. First, we need their intelligence to help us find all the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks and, above all, to find and stamp out future terrorist activity. Only through shared intelligence can we infiltrate the extensive network of terrorist cells in over 60 countries and learn about those lurking within our own borders as well.

Next, we need the cooperation of law enforcement officers worldwide to capture and hand over terrorists. Over the long run, we need their continuous surveillance of suspected terrorists and their willingness to crack down on terrorists before they strike.

Equally important is cutting off terrorists' funding. President Bush began this process by freezing assets of some individuals and organizations. That is a good start, but we also need other countries to track their finances, seize assets and block the flow of money if we're to take away their lifeblood.

Finally, we need the rest of the world to refuse sanctuary to any terrorist or terrorist group. To accomplish this, other countries must see the United States as a friend, not a threat. They need to believe we will consider their interests just as we are asking them to meet ours. They need to believe that we do, indeed, respect their cultures and religions. They must know that we will work with them over the long haul, not just as opportunity dictates.

It's a lot easier to drop bombs than to build lasting coalitions. We face an uneasy world, countries with tumultuous internal politics, distrust and even hatred of the United States. When we do take military action, we must bear in mind this mistrust and remember the ultimate goal of driving terrorism from the earth.

The greatest revenge we can exact is to root out terrorism through a global, sustained effort, by starving terrorists of the funds, sanctuary, communications and local support they need to conduct their evil work. This is the only way to make America safe and the only way to end terror throughout the world.