“When evil is actually elected to office, the voters are responsible...there can be no collateral damage and there are no innocent civilians to protect...”
That is the exact same reasoning the islamists use to justify the killing of western civilians - we elect our leaders, so we are responsible for any “crimes” they commit.
Sadly, you are wrong. There are plenty of innocents in Egypt along with plenty of guilty. I’ll go ahead and keep my western ideals, thank you.
“It is good that war is so horrible, or we might grow to like it.” —Robert E. Lee
If their law (or belief) is that Western Civilization is evil and therefore must be eradicated, then in their minds killing of anyone who supports those values which are evil to them must be killed. That's the way it is whether we like it or not. In this way, if an entire population of voting citizens (or the majority of them) also believe this way, they too become the enemy. We won't be able to interview them before they become "victims" of war.
I am sure there were folks that were not morally supportive of WWII in Dresden and Hiroshima. But by their collective association with a populace that supported the war initiative their respective countries started, they (by no fault of their own) became complicit in the ramifications. Accordingly, the war strategy included breaking the enemy's will to fight (the civilian will included).
War is horrible and nobody wants (or should want it). But if a war must be fought, it needs to be total and complete war in an effort to keep it short. I agree with Robert E. Lee in that regard.
My point, which may have come off as brash, is those countries that are now electing governments that openly support terrorism and violence against the USA, Israel and Europe are far easier to fight than sectarian groups of renegades operating in pockets of desserts and mountains.
The citizens of Egypt have legitimized their political and religious position against "western civilization" with their elections. When the next war breaks out, rules of engagement should be very loose and mosques need not become safe houses for the enemy (as an example).
I don't support targeting civilians or the carpet/fire bombing of entire cities as we have smarter weapons these days. But I wouldn't shy away from riskier scenarios against targets that will eventually save American Soldiers and bring a quicker end to war.
WE SHOULD NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR WAR (friendly fire incidents excepted)!
Egypt is now joining in the beating of war drums along with Iran and Syria. Those nations are finding support from Russia and China. History is repeating itself and the next war may be more like WWII. If it comes, I hope we are ready.