COMMENTING ON ORIGINAL THREAD QUESTION:
First of all, the catchy slogan "Global War on Terror" is a total misnomer, and is not something that can be fought with weapons. If someone has a virus, treating the symptoms will not cure the illness. Likewise, a world with a religious/political disease cannot be cured by attacking countries or individuals. The root of said religious/political warfare is ideology..or better yet, it's the learning of said principles that causes the disease.
Bush would do well to make ammends with those who oppose us. But diplomacy is not his style, so that will never happen. And yes, making ammends..showing a level of humility and effort to try to understand WHY someone flew airplanes into our buildings IS more important than simply avenging their deaths.
People in this country, and few around the world actually think the 911 attacks were unprovoked and, dare I say, "undeserving." But the truth is, our foreign policy (as stated as the reason by said 911 attackers) has driven them to do what they did. The matter of attacking us on 911 has nothing to do with killing us because we believe in freedom and democracy...that's a total joke. It has EVERYTHING to do with:
1) Supporting Israel since 1947 and sustaining that barbarous country with the means to inflict true terrorism on their Arab, Persian, and Asian neighbors. Even using the UN to inflict terror on Israel's neighbors..specifically the Palestinians.
2) US Foreign Policy which stabs in the back those we once supported, exploits other countries or groups for political and financial gain, and punishes militarily or starves nations that oppose it.
So how do you win the WAR ON TERROR? First, educate people that there is no such thing (see
here). Secondly, educate Americans as to why we've inherited this ongoing hatred and declarations of jihad. Then work on actual diplomacy...stop playing games and saying "we'll recognize you as a government when you let women vote, or stop circumcizing your women.." and say, "we'll make peace, even though we will not trade with you until you act humanely towards your people." Peace should not take priority AFTER politics, and peace should not be toyed around with.
An example of of how we should not toy with peace is how Condi Rice ignored Amedinejad's request for debate with Bush calling it "a distraction." In reality, that is exactly the type of thing they should have jumped on..it's something that will create debate, dialogue, and possibly solutions. If Bush and Amedinejad actually met in person, communicated clearly, and expressed themselves..there would at least be solid ground to work on. If Bush took Amedinjad fishing in his freshly stocked lake in Crawford, maybe the two leaders could find some common ground with each other personally..Both are power hungry evil doers, surely they could find some common ground. And this is how grown ups make peace.
Anyway, there is no military victory for the war on terror, only making peace/friends with the enemies. The day the Iranian soccer team stops calling us the Great Satan, is the day we have victory. The day ordinary iraqis get to be heard, get to be compensated and apologized to for American wrongdoing is the day victory will occur. The day Osama bin Laden comes out of his cave and decides to attack someone else is the day we'll have victory. And yes, if peace is made, then prosecution should not occur. In fact, I'd say that as long as Bush goes unpunished, so too should Osama bin Laden. Both have killed innocents, both have done it based on twisted, evil ideology..only one has done 10x more killing (Bush) than the other.
Peace is Victory.