Actually, I think the best way to take care of terrorists is silently and discreetly. If you make a big show of executing them, and make sure that everyone in the world knows of it, you're only going to make them martyrs. Don't even mention that they've been taken out, and make sure that no one knows who they are. That way, no one will know that they died "for a cause."
A good, fair point. That's probably a good strategy. But, sometimes, it's also good to strike fear.

What if the terrorists have a valid argument and they have only turned to violence because nobody would listen to them otherwise? Maybe more effort should be made to find out why human beings would resort to such barbaric practices. More violence is not going to end the cycle.
You scare me. Very, very much.

A war on terrorism is a pointless war, though, because terrorism has existed since practically the dawn of mankind.
So? You're just going to give up. Let's give up on medicine as well. Bacteris were here LONG before us. Does that sound rational to you? Saying evil has existed since the dawn of mankind doesn't mean fighting it is pointless. It may be difficult and even impossible, but it's a lot better than to be slaughtered like sheep.