Fear and despair is what changes the political culture of a society. Humiliation is what destroys militarism. Not port deals.
Al Qaeda is, quite simply, true Islam. It is Islam at its purest and most dedicated and most willing to die. This only changes when the proud, the brave, the dedicated are all dead or broken. The Wars of Religion in Europe only ended after the bloodbath of the 30 Years War when an exhausted Europe said enough. If you want to win the WOT you must rewrite Islam and that means the Muslim world will have to suffer an equivalent of the 30 years War.
Blah blah blah. Blah Blah Blah.
If you switched gears anymore you'd be an old-fashioned lawnmower.