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Action on terrorism By 0, 9/16/2001 TUESDAY'S atrocities were not merely attacks against American business and military centers, or against America itself, or even against western democracy. They were attacks against humanity. As such, they require a global response. Condemnation is a start. It is important to isolate terrorists, to have the world community say in one voice that, whatever the differences among nations of philosophy or religion or governmental structure, terror attacks will not be tolerated. They victimize not only innocent lives, but civilization itself. Several world leaders have made this point powerfully. Tuesday's suicide missions, said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, ''were not only attacks on the people in the United States, our friends in America, but also against the entire civilized world, against our own freedom, against our own values.'' It is encouraging that Schroeder's stirring rhetoric was echoed by leaders of other countries, including many that are not frontline allies of the United States. With the notable exception of Iraq, nearly every country condemned the attacks. But rhetoric is not enough. In the past, words of outrage and blame have been brushed aside by terrorists far too easily. What is needed is hard action. It should be the goal of American diplomacy now to unite as many countries as possible in a campaign to disable and dismantle the terrorists' networks. Wednesday night, the 19 NATO ambassadors made a good start by invoking Article 5 of the NATO charter, declaring that the attack on America was an attack on all their nations. It was the first time Article 5 had been invoked in the alliance's 52-year history. Now, the key moves must come from nations that have quietly winked at or abetted terrorists and their protectors. China's Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya said, ''The international community should take resolute actions against international terrorism.'' But these words are meaningless as long as China is selling missiles to the regime in Iran, which may have no connection to Tuesday's atrocities but does continue to sponsor other forms of terrorism. France's prime minister, Lionel Jospin, said governments that encourage violent extremists should be forced ''to fight terrorism in their own territory.'' But these words are meaningless as long as France, hankering after oil contracts, continues to push for the legitimization of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, ordered national flags flown at half-mast. But this is a meaningless gesture unless Russia provides real cooperation in the campaign to eradicate terrorism. Pakistan's military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, said Thursday, ''Pakistan has been extending cooperation to international efforts to combat terrorism in the past and will continue to do so.'' But in fact Pakistan will have to change its behavior radically, especially if evidence points to neighboring Afghanistan as a source of Tuesday's attacks. In that case, Pakistan will have to tighten its border, isolate the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan, and allow US and allied forces to use its airspace and bases to carry out whatever military operations are needed. The possibility of domestic backlash in Pakistan and elsewhere cannot be an excuse. There can be no tolerance of terrorism anywhere. For years, in Northern Ireland and Israel and other places, terrorist acts have been deplored but recognized as a fact of life. Now, after a few men have shown they can bring down a skyscraper with a pocket knife, no level of tolerance is acceptable. The continuing efforts of President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell to build an international coalition have been compared to the Gulf War coalition, but there are two basic differences. Today the enemy is not an easily identified state. And while the Gulf War coalition needed some breadth, including some Arab nations, the coalition this time must include every nation in the world that claims to be civilized, so that the terrorists can be isolated and exterminated. As the world shrinks, America is the only superpower, but it is still a part of the community of nations and reliant on it - a fact far clearer today than it was just a week ago. This story ran on page D6 of the Boston Globe on 9/16/2001. © Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.