You're right of course- and I was being overly simplistic!
The Iraq culture is VERY different than Japan or Germany.
Still- the point that you can't win hearts and minds at the same time there are ongoing combat ops is apt.
Also, its a fallacy to say that Japan and Germany are anything alike. These were wildly different cultures. Japan had to go through an enormous change to be where they are now. Beginning with acknowledging that their representative of God on earth was a mere mortal. Something tens of thousands died to deny.
In the old testament, the people are commanded to commit unspeakable atrocities, to claim the promised land. Yet, somehow, this is not in anyway acceptable in Western Culture despite being built on this very foundation.
Islam has similar calls but these can be reinterpreted and the struggle placed on a plane of the confrontation of ideas.
Admittedly this requires that Islam bend on the most fundamental commands, that of attacking Apostates. For Islam to thrive freely, then it must turn loose as easily as it might gain.
For now, Islam is rooted in evil. But, surrendering to evil or simply meeting evil with evil is just supporting evil. The way of hope and the light is not easy and not without cost.