I've been to war and there's nothing good about it. War is ugly, barbaric, and indifferent to your status (civilian/soldier, rich/poor, etc), and there is no way to change that.

Men, women and children all bleed the same, and in war they all can kill you, so you do what you have to do to survive. However, that NEVER includes purposeful targeting of non-combatants. That is the difference between us and them, and we need to preserve it at all costs.

"War is hell" was true then and is still true today, despite the changes in our technologies I think Sherman would recognize all our problems in Iraq.

Lastly: While this thread is about Radical Islam, I remind us all that fanaticism knows no religious or political boundaries (remember Tim McVeigh?).