"As for wiping out vast numbers of these people, raining down death and destruction in the long run will not work."
May this mere unbeliever ask what you do not understand about the Roman success in dealing with Carthage?
As I remember, the Roman who said "Carthage delenda est" was correct. Like software, once deleted from memory, it stays deleted.
I suggest that the non-Muslim world rallying cry will soon have to be "Islam delenda est".
Worst of all, the Muslims brought it on themselves.
Maybe if Carthage had WMD capabilities, the Romans would have dealt with them differently ?
Just how can you apply ancient historically political and battle strategies to today's world?
Sure the basic concepts like fear and death still have their place, but any normal looking Jihad Joe from any one of a dozen countries can hop on a plane, pick up a suitcase nuke from the local Mosque, stop by the ATM to buy his cup of decaffeinated tea in a downtown Manhattan Cafe' while fingering his trigger device waiting to get his virgin.