Note that we obliged Saddam's request to be a martyr. Yet today many of his Sunni brethren are fighting alongside us, killing al Qaeda.
This may be right for Iraq. You're country will probably be sucessful at getting al Qaeda out of Iraq. But that won't change one thing - the USA killed Muslims. They started that war in Iraq because they were afraid of Saddam (or because they wanted to get oil). That might not be the reason why Bush or whoever else actually made the discision. But it's what people around the world think is the reason.
It's how propaganda works. It doesn't matter what reason you have to do one thing or another. It's what people think is your reason that actually matters.
Like you, I don't think that you can talk al Quaeda out of their believes. But starting wars all over the world will ultimately lead to more people becoming radical. It's not like there are only people of al Quaeda dying in this war. There might have been a lot of families in Afghanistan who hadn't even heard of September 11th. But what they know is that an US soldier came and killed their relatives. I think that this will be dangerous and will help Al Qaeda to get more support.
It would be better to show many people throughout those endangered countries that the western society is not the enemy. If al Quaeda or any other radical elements cannot win supporters, they will get weaker.
