[jola]

both sides are correct in some ways. you can't really educate (or re-educate) the present generation of al qaeda members, especially with our controversial history in the middle-eastern region. when you have suicide bombers willing to die for a cause driving straight at you day after day, i think you have to kill those people before they kill more lives. however, educating the next generation of al qaeda members before al qaeda does is important.

ghandi doesn't match up well in this situation though. he protested a legalistic caste-like system, whereas the war on terror is about much more salient idealism. sure, the white europeans had philosophies about white superiority and such, but the main goal was to retain colonial power. extremist muslim terrorist cells are idealist by nature and uncompromising in most cases.

and for the record, hitler constructed the nazi party around himself with no consideration for continuation beyond him for the most part (i can't recall him ever thinking of an heir) whereas terrorist cells are often designed to operate indepently with interchangeable leadership.