How does "mutually assured destruction" work against people who believe that dying while trying to mass murder as many innocents as possible is the surest way to heaven?
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It doesn't. You HAVE TO GET THEM before they get you. End of discussion....
The way it works is that we're going to blow up the countries that they live in if they do it. That gives those countries an incentive to stop them.
Of course, it doesn't appear to be working yet.
"The ultimate choice is the destruction of the US by operations of strategic symmetry through weapons of mass destruction, namely nuclear, chemical, or biological means, if the mujaheddin can achieve it with the help of those who possess them or through buying them."
Extermination seems to be the only viable approach.