This war needs to be fought not just by the quiet men in the shadows visiting death on the enemy's doorstep, and not just by the combat soldier delivering a louder message, but also by those inviting the enemy to reconsider what they are fighting for and why.
Every would-be jihadist we enlighten is more than just a soldier lost to their side, he is a drag on their daily efforts.
Still it's perhaps not quite as satisfying as taking him our on a field of Battle...
There's a book written by a former Muslim prof (forget the name at the moment) at the big Muslim university in Cairo, who is now a convert to Christianity. These people CAN be reached, but not by pussyfooting around. They just see that as weakness. PC will kill us just as surely as bombs.
I think you're right that it's not as satisfying, but that should not be a factor. Trying times like these call for the self-discipline to avoid emotionally satisfying solutions when effective solutions are what's needed. The two things can sometimes conflict.
It's generally the lousy generals who never think beyond the massive frontal assault on the enemies' strongest point and the good ones who look for their enemies' hidden weaknesses.