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1:22 p.m., Sunday, October 7, 2001

The strikes have begun. I was working along, ready to post my journal entry from yesterday, when a CNN Breaking News email dropped into my mailbox. It was simple: "Pentagon officials confirm to CNN that U.S. strikes have begun in Afghanistan. Details soon." Still, my heart stopped for a moment at the words.

It's official. We are at war.

I am listening to Dan Rather and his experts, as they emotionlessly and factually discuss the U.S. strikes, the vast amounts of humanitarian aid that the U.S. is supplying to the Afghan people, and likely retaliatory strikes here in the U.S. President Bush, they say, has warned that this is "only the beginning."

Looking outside, it is a beautiful, sunny day -- too sunny without the Towers to block the brightness. Attacks seem to occur on sunny days.

Demonstrators in Pakistan are calling for a jihad, or holy war, as the U.S. calls for a "quick" end to the Taliban. Reports claim that Taliban leaders are beginning to defect from their ranks, even as anti-American demonstrations begin to rage.

"Our objectives are clear," claimed President Bush, as he indicated that the U.S. will be pursuing a broader range of possible terrorist and terrorist-harboring targets. We will, the talking heads on the screen advise, begin an "anti-terrorist" campaign; this is only a counter-terrorism campaign.

I don't care what they call it. We are at war. Our objectives are clear, but this is only the beginning.