According to Oliver North (whom I respect), these mullahs, Imams & Ayatollahs (a.k.a. "Muslim clerics") are neither religious or spiritual (unless you count demonic) leaders. They are mafia-gangster style thugs with their own turf and private armies. Their headquarters are these religious shrines and mosques that they hide in, keep weapons caches and munitions and explosives in and often shoot from.
These guys shoot from behind women and children. Women, to them, are worthless. Children, to them are like Doritos: "no problem, we'll make more"...
This, in my opinion is like the Israelites crossing into the Promissed Land... They had to kill men women and children because nobody was "innocent" in those cities, towns and areas... the term "kill them all and let God sort it out" is not entiirely flippent nor glib. The innocent, who really are innocent, God will judge and take care of. The guily will go to their 'reward'. Our snipers would do well to focus in on these so-called thug clerics and take them out systematically one after another.
So, I agree with you. The responce should be 'immediate, swift and overwhelming'. Real and true "shock and awe" in every sense of the word...even if that includes M.O.A.B.S., Daisy Cutters, 4,000 Lb bombs and cluster bombs and those gunships letting loose everything the've got to level the "Suni Triangle".
I fully believe you will see a very passive Iraq after that. Even the Shiites full of themselves will think again about an "uprising".
As for Iran, if we know where these snak-heads are then send in the stealths to drop bunker-busters on their hideouts just like we did to Saddam...or get the Israelis to...
We would see Al Jareeza showing the same types of photos that we bring out showing the dead men, women and children killed by deadly gas...courtesy of Saddam Hussein.
That said, if this was AFTER the election in November, I believe President Bush would indeed take your suggestion.
He believes as we all do that 1 American GI's life is worth 1000 Iraqi lives.