Why call this a "war?" The above proposal fits nicely into the rubric of "campaign," or even better, helping terrorists see that they need their victims to achieve their goal, which is improving the life of the masses.

Kenneth Ballen makes some excellent points in his editorial that call to fill a strategic void in the Global War on Terror. Specifically, his two points calling for 10,000 English-language teachers in the madrassahs in Indonesia and the creation of an Institute of English Teacher Education to train teachers from Muslim countries in the US.

The military dimension of the war on terror is only one part of what it will take for us to prevail in the long run. Success depends on a balanced and comprehensive approach, and one of the greatest tools we have to countering the jihadists in Indonesia (and elsewhere) is literacy and education. Our adversaries are already indoctrinating Muslim children in their early education, and our failure to attempt to counter this is surrendering that portion of the war.

If we could spend 1/3 of the money spent annually in Iraq on programs such as these, we would go a long way toward winning in the long run.

Mike H.