It is when attempting to describe the events in New York and Washington on Tuesday that one discovers that English, one of the world's more versatile languages, is nevertheless inadequate to the task. As it was, words were hardly necessary; the graphic television footage beamed across the planet and showing scenes of unbelievable abomination required no commentary.

Since the human mind has difficulty absorbing the enormity of mass suffering, of all the horrific images to come out of a day of horror, arguably the most distressing was the brief video clip of a single individual launching themselves to their death from one of the upper stories of either the north or south tower of the World Trade Centre (WTC). Perhaps it was panic because of the searing heat that caused them to leap, or perhaps it was choice, the final act of a sentient mind selecting one of two unthinkable options for a mode of passing. Either way, that terrifying descent caught by the relentless eye of the video camera and transmitted around the world, must have seared itself into the souls of millions.

Disturbing in a different kind of way were the images of some Palestinians and Arabs openly rejoicing in the streets at the carnage in the US. The very least that can be said about it is that it will do nothing to promote their cause in the court of planetary opinion. Fortunately these demonstrations of Schadenfreude were balanced by the condemnations of the Arab leaders and the footage of Chairman Yasser Arafat, visibly shaken, expressing his shock.

And who, one wonders, could possibly have sat and coldly plotted the death of thousands - real men and women with life and hope and being - as though they constituted nothing more than so many numbers in an unfathomable equation? Whatever the political persuasion of the perpetrators, this had nothing to do with politics. And whatever the religious affiliation of the perpetrators, this had nothing to do with religion. This was the ultimate act of irrationality, the ultimate rejection of the norms of civilization.

While there has been no definitive statement up to the time of writing about the identity of those responsible for the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon, preliminary indications might suggest a connection with a network controlled by Mr Osama bin Laden. If that indeed is so, it is difficult to see what death and destruction on such a scale will achieve in practical terms, even for the most uncompromising of fundamentalists. It will weld together those who are normally opponents on the American political scene in common purpose; it will draw the West closer, since this will be seen as an attack on all western nations, and not just on one; and it will probably galvanize many nations into co-operating on a long-term programme for the elimination of terrorism.

Finally, of course, it will simply not defeat either the United States, or cause the state of Israel to disappear.

It probably does not matter too much to Mr bin Laden (always presuming, of course, that he is the genuine suspect) that this will do nothing for the solution of the Palestinian problem. He will not be concerned about peace processes, or the fact that Israel will get temporary cover as a consequence of this act. He could not be bothered that Mr Sharon's assassination policy and occupation of certain Palestinian areas will go out of the spotlight, and that in the short term, at least, it will be difficult to put pressure on the Israeli government. If your ultimate aim is to wipe the state of Israel off the map, prosecute an undeclared war with the United States and impose your mono-vision on the world by force, these considerations are neither here nor there.

The terrorists showed their hands in an undisguised fashion on Tuesday, and in so doing they wakened the West from its slumber. The ordinary man in the street now understands what the leaders already knew; no open society is safe from those with closed minds and stunted consciences. As stated above, all free nations now will have to combine in a war against terrorism; it will not be easy, and it will not be won quickly. However, it must be done, because apart from more familiar forms of attack, the possibility cannot be eliminated that eventually even a nuclear device could fall into the wrong hands.