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If the war on terrorism is to be won, America and Europe must remain strong and reliable allies to one another. NATO members cannot afford to underestimate the threat that al-Qaeda continues to pose to the West and its collective values of freedom, liberty, human rights, equality, and democracy. The politi­cal expediency of keeping troops out of harm's way grossly miscalculates the long-term strategic impli­cations of a resurgent Taliban and an al-Qaeda pres­ence in Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan is ultimately not yet won, and gains made there remain under threat so long as the region remains susceptible to al-Qaeda and Tal­iban insurgencies. Now is the time for the NATO Alliance to show its backbone and defeat the scourge of al-Qaeda.