but it requires a very patient response--and that is what powerful victims of terror tend to lack---for instance, the United States military is way past SixSigma with regard to fratricide. We will definetly let bad guys go if there is any chance of engaging friendlies with deadly fire (does not of course translate quite as cleanly to ground on ground combat-i.e crossfire, overshots etc). In the killing of terrorists and insurgents, I would offer that we have to treat unknowns and civilians the same way--that it is better, as a long term strategy to never kill an innocent or possible innocent and susbequently not kill bad guys as efficiently/quickly. The "senior operative" killed in Pakistan becomes a wash when the little girl killed is laid out next to him.
and to Sandycat- I think the point is that Palistinians radicals can count on a violent reaction from Israel to help sustain their claims to moderates that Israel is violently opposed to Palestinian existance. So, though we in the US have gone on living in many ways, we are also fighting two wars and are buying into a lot of useless and expensive security measures