****no one path will lead to our success in the fight against terrorism.****
I do not think this is a war against terrorism. Never have. The Islamists are bent on uniting the Moslem world and have made great strides that most if not nearly all Americans are wholly unaware of. The Islamist nation is born and nearly of age. They should be considered a nation. Their terrorism is just assemetrical warfare and this effort of ours MUST be a war on their nation. Not a war against terrorism. That is just too small an objective.
Of course your point here is that Islam should be considered a nation. If and when you are in the position of separating and codifying the nations perhaps your opinion will carry some weight. At the present it is simply your opinion and you have every right to express it. However, we would not be justified in forming national policy based upon your individual opinion.
What you are suggesting is that the US declare war on the nation of Islam when in fact there is no such nation. If you listened to President Bush and others in the current administration they very definitively addressed the fact that the enemy is very ill-defined. At this particular point in history the enemy has been defined as Bin Laden's organization which is spread around the world in more than 36 nations according to my best recollection.
I am not naive enough to believe that there are not many who follow the prophet (sp??) who agree with the thoughts and ideals as put forth by Bin Laden and his ilk. On the other hand there are very many who condemn his actions vociferously.
Who as individuals or what groups of Moslem believers would you include in your war against this fictitious nation? My personal belief is that the founder of this religion was a false prophet. I base my beliefs on what I consider to be the Word of the Living God, the Bible. I cannot find any passage in the Bible that commands, urges, infers or suggests that I go to war with unbelievers. Rather, I am told to let the Light of Christ so shine in my life that men will see my good works and glorify my Father who is in Heaven.
I shall not go to war with all Islam. When I am attacked because of my belief in the Lord Jesus Christ I am told to turn my other cheek and allow my attacker to hit me there also for they are then doing as the Lord told the apostle Paul "you are kicking against the goads".
On the other hand, when and if Islam attacks the US for reasons other than Christianity I shall gladly and willingly ferociously fight for the principles of freedom. I have done it before and herewith publicly proclaim to do so again.
In my opinion, the US has not yet been attacked because of the many Christians in this nation. There are far more unbelievers in the country than believers. It is my belief that the United States has been attacked because of the freedom and luxurious life style it portrays. I don't believe in living luxuriously but I'll defend to death the right of one who can do so legitimately.
Having said all that, it is my opinion that there are many actions we should take, individually and as a nation, to prevent to as great an extent as possible, further deterioration of the lawlessness rampant in the US today.