You cant get rid of a terrorist group by trying to kill them, it makes marters and makes matters worse. In the end you have to stop shooting and start talking. Britain went thru a similar problem with the IRA, many people died, then we started talking. I know many people will disagree, but thats how I fell about this one. Good question.

To elliminate Al Qaeda might be possible, but the cost in both human and economic terms would be horrendous, and you'd still need to be on the lookout for more. As Rince has stated, killing makes martyrs, and the tired cycle of more idiots willing to kill (themselves or others) starts again all too easily. The main issue I have with talking is a serious one. I can't say I speak with any authority on the issue, but the demands of Al Qaeda don't seem to involve any willingness to talk at all - it's 'give us what we want or else'. If there is a willingness to talk, it's only about subjects which no Western government would contemplate, such as replacing what passes for democracy with theocracy and the implementation of Sharia Law. Ultimately, it takes two to form a dialogue, and I don't see (as yet) any willingness to do this on either side. Unless one or both positions change, talking will continue to be almost impossible. As for control, well I think we can forget that. If people are willing to embark on murder to achieve their ends things are difficult. If these people are also willing to die for their aims, controlling them becomes almost impossible I think. It may be a hard fact to accept, but we may just have to put up with them for several decades before the current situation changes in any meaningful way.

Over time, 5- 10 years, Al Qaeda will be a very bad memory and a lost cause.