The overall political picture needs to be considered by the Military commanders. The answer can’t be to Nuke’em or Boots on the Ground all the time.
We’re not a warrior state. Our goals are set by political and diplomatic objectives.
Goals, yes.
Implementation of military actions to accomplish those goals should be left to the military.
War is an admission that diplomacy has failed. Get the diplomats out of the way until a military conclusion is reached. Then let the diplomats draw up the terms of surrender, boundary changes, punishments for the enemy diplomats & politicians.
“We’re not a warrior state. Our goals are set by political and diplomatic objectives.”
And you don’t think killing all the terrorists before they kill us is consistent with our political and diplomatic objective?