I understand what you are saying in terms of damage, casualties, and symbolic disaster but... I still think those sand ***** couldnt do it alone, not to mention most culprits were supposed to be from Saudi Arabia and not Afganistan. I still have issues with building 7, thermyte, Mossad involvement, the "airplane" in the pentagon and the way the NSA responded to the hijacked airplanes. Not saying US government had anything to do with it, I dont even want to start a discussion about that.
One could argue that ISIS is the direct consequence of overthrowing Saddam (who had nothing to do with 911) and Al Gaddafi in Lebanon... The Arabic "spring" and everything that came with it. Many ISIS rebels were trained to overthrow those governments and once done they turned their heads to the West and the "infidels". Not only they are trained by Western forces but armed as well! With all the weapons and vehicles left behind by the US and NATO in these 3rd world God forsaken nations (US and Nato should have left them sort their own shit and kill each other instead of spending lots of $$$ in training and weapons). I think ISIS is way bigger than Al Qaeda or Talibans ever were (which in essence, were untrained monkeys fighting guerrilla warfare in caves and sand dunes). ISIS has TONS of people born in Europe, muslims that have always been rejected by the true Europeans and hence the hate and disgust to go back to Syria, train and fight with ISIS. ISIS is a real menace... I say nuke all their HQs, arrest and interrogate EVERY muslim linked with these idiots that appears under the radar in Europe.
Turning the other cheek, not gonna work.