Even after our war with the Barbary Pirates we didn’t make it a holy war, and we said so. We fight only to retain the security of the nation, not to enforce the Bible. Our country has no intrinsic animosity to anyone because of religion.
I understand now. Yes, I agree with you. We, the US, need to understand that the enemy is in a holy war with us, but that we are not in a holy war with them, and fight them from that POV.
I was focusing on the phrase "sinking to their level" which I equate to deliberately attacking civilians, etc., which I do not want us to do. But we can still call them out as waging a holy war on us.
Thank you for helping me clear that up.