The war on terrorism has come to its first major fork in the road.

It manifests itself as the month of Ramadan, an Islamic holy month beginning this year in November, when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The purpose of Ramadan is, among other things, to allow the Muslim believer to empathize with the less fortunate, to test the patience of the believer and to become closer to Allah.

British Defense Minister Geoff Hoon, who was in Washington this week to consult with the U.S. on war policy, said that it might be in allied interests to suspend military activities in Afghanistan during Ramadan in the interest of Muslim sensitivities. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld added that such a suspension might be a possibility.

This certainly is a touchy situation.

On the one hand, the goal of our military action is to get Osama bin Laden, a person who is hard enough to track down even in the best of circumstances. Time is of the utmost importance. He knows we are looking for him. He understands that we are committed to finding him, and so he keeps himself mobile, hiding in caves, mountains and various locations around Afghanistan. Word is beginning to surface that he might flee to Chechnya, a country whose freedom fighters he has supported in the past.

If we cease bombing, it could provide bin Laden the time he needs to flee into another country and make the already sizable task of finding him all the more troublesome.

On the other hand, the coalition that we have formed with various countries is a fragile one at best. Two countries in particular, India and Pakistan, already have indicated that they will take up arms once again over the disputed territory of Kashmir.

The Muslim countries that have pledged support to the U.S. in its war on terrorism will not be pleased if we continue our military strikes during Ramadan. Furthermore, the terrorists of the al Qaeda organization will use our action during this time to rally sympathizers together for their cause. You almost can picture a Taliban spokesman, or even bin Laden himself, hitting the airwaves and telling the world, “The United States has claimed they are not targeting civilians or waging war against Islam, but while they know that this is Ramadan, they continue to bomb our nation and our civilians. This is evidence enough that they are trying to wage war against our religion.”

While both sides carry equal consequences, there is only one resolution, given the objectives of our mission and our stance regarding this “war on terrorism.” The U.S. and its allies must continue their campaign to bring in bin Laden, even if it means engaging in actions during Ramadan.

Sensitivity toward the Muslim faith and the customs of the Middle East have been of the utmost importance in the minds of allied policymakers. Note that in the first week of bombing, the U.S. suspended air attacks for part of the Muslim Sabbath.

If complete suspension of fighting during Ramadan was a custom that was strictly held onto during the holiday, then the tone of the conversation would be different. However, since recent evidence has shown that it is not, military action during the holiday is fair game.

There are a number of reasons for our continuation. First, we must cite precedent. During the 1980s, two Islamic nations, Iran and Iraq, engaged in an eight-year war with both sides suffering enormous casualties. And yes, for those of you who are unceasing in your hostility toward American foreign policy, this was indeed the war where the U.S. gave arms to Saddam Hussein, who eventually used those same tools to invade Kuwait in 1990.

During those eight years, both countries fought straight through Ramadan. No cease-fire for the holiday was called.

This is just one example among many.

Second, the sole purpose of ceasing bombing during Ramadan would be to allow the citizens of the country to engage in their religious holiday in a peaceful climate. This is respectable, but the fact remains that while there is no doubt that Afghan civilians unfortunately have been killed in the attacks, we only have set our targets on military strongholds, not civilian targets. To cease bombing would indicate that we are targeting civilians.

Do the citizens of Afghanistan want to worship in peace? They can — we aren’t bombing them.

Third, and most important, is that ceasing the attacks during Ramadan would be contrary to our mission over there.

War is never a pleasant thing. We do not choose the time and the place for it, and we cannot maneuver around it because of holidays. The purpose of military action should be to go in, finish whatever you need to get done in the shortest amount of time possible and then leave.

Under these criteria, both air and ground attacks against al Qaeda and the Taliban must be relentless and unceasing until bin Laden is either killed or “brought to justice,” as President Bush would say. Speaking as an American citizen though, I believe that the emphasis should be on the former.