>The point that the Strikes are trying to make to the enemy is >already accepted by the enemy. They already know that if US is >attacked, the US will kick ass. But whose ass??? They also know >that US will kick there host's ass. And they don't care a bit >about it.
Which is why the only short term 'victory' for the U.S. is the capture or (more likely and more hopefully) death of Osama the insane and his lieutenants. Osama seems to be a very charismatic figure to a lot of Muslim or would be Muslim extremists, his death would hopefully leave a large vacuum of leadership.