Military guys,

I recommend you/we read some books that describe what the other side thinks on this subject. That side believes that it will take many many generations to kick the US out of muslim territory. They are willing to wait. They expect to wait. They expect their great great grandchildren to be at war every day of their lives. Does the US populous know or understand this mindset? No, IMO.

Try "Imperial Hubris" or "Through Our Enemies' Eyes" (same CIA author--I forget the name), or a book by a westerner who has actually lived several decades in the region. I've got at least a half-dozen of these kind of books in my library. You may be stunned to find out that US foreign policy (towards Israel and the muslim world) is what drives the other side--not necessarily poverty, etc.