What would it take?....

[Qwikshot]

Here is the problem...

there is always going to be some form of extremism. Who is to say that the North Koreans aren't Communist Extremists?!? Who is to say that christians who bomb and kill doctors/people at abortion clinics aren't in the same category as Muslim extremists with explosives stuck to them.

The other problem is not just Christian/vs Muslims, as it is Western vs Middle Eastern ideology. Iranians just had a crackdown on Valentine's day cards because it is a Western tradition that could threaten to erode the "values", and that people of the opposite sex showing public displays of affection is taboo.

There is always going to be a fringe group who thinks not enough has been done, or their way is the right way. I am positive though that if Muslims extremists began to conduct suicide bombing in the U.S. there would be a massive profiling, massive sweeps, and massive retaliation for any supporters of the extremists.

What would weaken the Muslim extremist? These are people that believe that death is better than life (consider some of these peoples living conditions). You have to enhance the living conditions of those regions (like Afghanistan but even more strictly regimented) one that gives women the right to speak, to help the poor, to have a better judicial system, etc. Massive consumerism helps as well, people who live in a world that is stable, tend to want to keep it that way. They want to be able to go to the store and buy whatever, without fear of fundamentalists complaining or worse, killing them.
Sort of like U.S. rebuilding of Japan, but Japan was an island, the Middle East is surrounded by tension.

I read something about threatening Mecca, doing that pits the U.S. against every Muslim, almost the same as threatening to blow up the Vatican.

It's going to get alot uglier before its get better, but I will say this, if a nuclear attack does occur on U.S. soil and is the work of extremists, all bets are off, anything can happen...from massive nuclear attacks, to the new crusade against the Middle East (leading to colonialization of those countries).

You will never get rid of the threat, you can only resolve the in the best manner possible.

[Anrhydeddu]

I think the hatred is more fundamental than policies. We built this country on Judeo-Christian principles for the most part and not on the Quran. In other words, principles like freedom of speech, freedom of worship, and subsequently, suffrage are intolerable to fundamentalist Islamic regimes. That is why countries like the Saudis are lukewarm at best on Iraq because as much as they fear Saddam, they are afraid of democratic principles even more.