In the Middle East, "Victory" is suicide.
Take Israel and Palestine (though you could apply the same lesson to not only the rest of the Middle East, but anywhere in the world).
They've tried fighting for 60 years or so; it doesn't seem to be working out very well for either side. All we seem to see is more Israelis killing more Arabs and more Arabs killing more Israelis. Whole lifetimes are being spent accomplishing nothing much more than insuring one's grandchildren will be doing the same fighting, killing and dying that previous generations did.
Just suppose, for a moment, that one side "wins." It doesn't matter which side - just choose one.
Suppose the Arabs who want Israel completely destroyed and wiped from the face of the earth get their way? Israel is gone - not just defeated, but annihilated. What then?
Even supposing the United States were not to venture in with calamitous force - and we have more than enough politicians who would be screaming for this, just to cement their hold on power in this country - even without the US re-entering the fray, what's to stop the descendants of those killed (or, indeed, the world Jewish community) from coming together and replaying 1948? Nothing. More killing, more deaths.
Now suppose the Israelis utterly destroy Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad - or pick a group. The Israelis maintain and strengthen their hold on the entire area of Israel and Palestine, continuing to relegate Palestinians to second-class citizenship. What's to prevent the next generation of Arabs - or their families around the world - from forming new groups and attacking? Nothing. More killing, more deaths.
"Victory" is suicide - if not for the victor, then for his children and grandchildren. As long as the killing continues, the only certainty is that more killing will follow.
Has a generation of spilled blood taught us nothing?
The killing must stop. Period. Whether by individuals, sects, death squads or governments, it must stop. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, it must stop.
So it is with our "War on Terror" - such a memorable phrase, such an unholy deceit. Victory in the war on terror - will only ensure more killing over the next generations.
Should those who perpetrate and perpetuate violence get off free? Of course not. They should be pursued as the criminals they are, not as some mythical, mystical "terrorists" - captured, prosecuted in a court of law and put away. Were we wise, had we integrity, we would insist the war mongers among us be subject to the same processes.
This is not a be-all, end-all to the very difficult problems in Palestine, Israel, thoughout the world; it is just a starting point. But it is, I think, a necessary one - as long as we are killing, we are endangering our sons and daughters. I think we all want something better than that.