Defeating Terror

Different types of Terrorism must be recognized before a effective military, political or economic response can be decided.

Type 1: State Driven.
Type 2: People Driven.

Type 1
State sponsored terrorism can be controlled or defeated using economic sanctions, military strikes, or even just identifying the culprits . The forces driving the terrorism use the activity as a non-conventional weapon but are driven by conventional military / political / economic goals. The greater the response the more likely the terrorism will cease as long as the response if carefully targeted. Care should be taken to avoid presponses that create type 2 terrorists.

Type 2: People driven Terrorism is generated by a perceived wrong on a civilian population. A proportion of the civilian population provides a source of people willing to fight or die for the cause. The more extreme the response to terror acts the greater the number of volunteers from the source population. Type 2 terrorism can not be defeated by economic sanctions or military means short of a �final solution� genocide of the source population.

Political solutions are required for Type 2 terrorism.

Messiah Terrorism: Where the figurehead is seen as some great figure in the religion by his compatriots, and he believes it is his holy duty to terrorize the perceived enemies of his religion. They will use other excuses, and from time to time claim that they are either State or People terrorists.

The only solution is to eradicate the figurehead and command structure, and then round up the majority of the pawns...

It's not about religion. Governments are happy for people to think it is, then they don't have to answer any hard questions. In the main religion is just a reflection of society anyway.
Remember type 2 terrorists have a never ending supply of volunteers just needing a bit of persuasion to join the cause. The death of a family member for example.
With type 2 you use military to provide security for your people, but you can't defeat a grievance with bombs.