The Geneva convention does not apply

Modern warefare in the West will never be the battle between two states again; it looks like it will be conflict between non state organizations and states like Israel and the U.S. This picture sums it up nicely, and I encourage you to go read the article.

Clearly the Geneva convention does not apply to this modern conflict, since targeting civilians and hiding among civilians is clearly prohibited.

Many US conservatives, most notably Newt Gingrich, is calling the modern war on terror World War III - this conflict between extreme Islam and Western nations anywhere. They feel this is the great conflict of our age, even if we are only now waking up to it.

Extreme Islam cannot be appeased or negotiated with, because we have nothing they want. It's either we win, or they keep trying to. They can't militarily of course, but they can demoralize us and wait until they are the dominant population.

Now that's a scary thought.