Jim Hoagland

About the author: Jim Hoagland is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Washington Post.

A key to the war against the terrorist organizations behind the September 11 attacks is to go after their money supply. International banks and financial institutions must crack down on money laundering practices that terrorists can exploit for their benefit. In addition, the United States should act against Islamic charities that may have supported terrorist groups.

Money sets Osama bin Laden apart from other Middle Eastern fanatics and murderers. A fortune derived from Saudi Arabia's vast oil revenues buys his organization survival and "success."

Finding and destroying the money trails to bin Laden is essential to finding and destroying his group. The Bush administration must penetrate and take apart the nexus of terror that surrounds...