What about Islam? Seems like they are indeed taking the road of the “long siege”, over 1400 years.
Each and every day they kill on average another 25 or so (large standard-deviation) infidels, each day of the week, each week of the month, each month of the year, each year of the century, each century of the millenia, for the last 1400 years... since Medina.
By the sword, they now claim 1/5 of the earth’s population.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. / If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. / If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. / If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. / Attack him where he is unprepared; appear where you are not expected. ... — I:20-24Now do many of those things sound like tactics our enemies have been using?
In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. So, too, it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them. / Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. Thus the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities. ... — III:1-3