Well, had we firebombed Vietnam, Iraq and, now, Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan, rather than trying to surgically target the enemy, we may have ultimatley saved more lives by ending the war sooner.
If the U.S. would disregard politics and unleash her military might, the enenmy would crumble quickly.
Okay...if you think we should play that game (e.g. throw out the ancient rules of war) what possible objection can we make when the enemy chooses to do the same against our civilian populations? I am sure many our enemies would also advocate the view that they can achieve faster victory and "save lives of soldiers" by targeting American babies and little old ladies.