Terrorists move:

Terrorists step up guerillia style attacks in US occupied countries in the middle east.
Usage of cheap roadside bombs, sniper attacks on patrols, bombing of any institution benefitting the US order like police stations.

It should cost the USA more than it does the Terrorists. Make locals afraid of dealing with americans for fear of retaliation.

Attacks on the USA infrasturcture would have most affect for the lowest costs. 

In the UK a few years ago a group of striking truckers blockaded oil refinaries and it became public knowedge that the entire UK petrol sources relied on a very few refinaries (3??).  Limiting their productivity could criple the UK, and the same could work in the US.  I think that both contries only have stocks for 30ish days.

The other way would be to blow up local substations.  In all reality how could the US/UK protect plyons etc?  They could build their way out the problem but that would take years.

London would be crippled if the M25 and the tube were taken out on the same day, 5 ish bombs and more threats could do it.

Correct. The thought "I can win" is at the base of violence in all its forms. Defending ones self from attack is necessary also, though. Probably if there is a way to prevent it, ultimately...it is to remove the causes...poverty, disease, injustice...all come to mind, though more could easliy be added.

*bold letters my addition.

I might have used "judgement" there instead, or as well...but that's a minor thought.

Excellently reasoned and posed. Nice to see someone truly thinking out there.

I see that StAcK3D_ActR has issues with the phrasing of the question. He's not the only one and the "War against Terrorism" is indeed regarded by some as a convenient construct created for the sake of the military-industrial complex.

But for the sake of this little mind game I simplify reality. So just assume the following:

The enemy called "Terrorism" is any foreign or native group or organization willing to attack US citizens, property, financial assets or anything else "owned" by the USA for the purpose of a political goal directly opposed to US presence or existence (or even under the pretense of a political goal). This even includes torching Saudi branches of McDonalds to stop the spread of american decadence and stuff. Single persons that simply hate america for whatever reasons and kill random americans do not count.

The "War" is conflict between the USA and participants of above "Terrorism", which can be fought by any (realistic) means imaginable, including non-violent means like diplomacy. US companies hiring mercs to kill local union leaders and other resistance groups opposed to their presence do not count unless they act as proxies for the war effort.

You are not allowed to "win the war" by redefining the meaning of "war" nor the meaning of "win".

A good terrorist long-term strategy: Draw the USA in lots of little vietnams. This would cost the USA far more than the terrorists and will lead to an eventual total collapse of the US economy.

No truer words ever spoken or written.

It's just a shame that this lesson hasn't been learned in over 2000 years.  Humans sure have and continue to make a mess of good thing.        

This is true. It is arrogant/fascistic at its base and only violence can stem from it, I feel.

It is a challenge and at it's core is: "I am right, you are wrong. I can win." The "I can win." impulse has to be curbed.

The only way to win is not to play the game.

At the same time, one is obligated [either passively or actively] to defend ones self if truly threatened.

Nah, the US losing all foreign military bases is a winning condition for the Terrorists. They can be lost through destruction or because they become too expensive to afford or because they simply got kicked out. Columbia might get a left leaning president and demand the USA close their military bases there. This wouldn't even be a terrorist act but it would work towards their winning conditions.

The USA has numerous military basis around the world, for whatever purpose they may serve.

Let's make it easier for Terrorists by excluding bases located in "western" allied countries.

And don't give up so soon on behalf of the USA. Even the cold war ended eventually. And maybe we find a really ingenious and productive use for nukes. You may even invent new weapons, like those mini-nukes Bush wanted to use (or was it Rumsfeld?). No fantasy bullshit weapons like the "gay-bomb" and such, though.

Wasn't referring to anyone in particular.

If everyone minds his own business, and leaves others to theirs, chances are nothing will happen. If someone comes looking to harm you, defend yourself.

Nah, that's the status quo.

Just stick to the victory conditions mentioned in the original post.

USA move:

Terrorist need money and manpower. Manpower is usually bought with money but in certain places (Iraq mostly) they get manpower for free. Too many people who have lost everything they ever cared for flock to terrorist groups for a bit of revenge. The USA has to eliminate this steady source of manpower.

Either create much much more civilian casualties or much less. In the latter case, also reimburse damage to private property.

Either way, the number of volunteers go back and manpower has to be bought or the number of enemy combatants go down.

Nah

this is incorrect.

you must realise that, you as a human being are the representative of all of human history up to this point in time, all its problems, failures, successes etc.

so in fact you yourself are the "bad things", as am i, also the "the bad things". "you are the world" so to speak.

our problem is human conditioning. we are taught that everyone is different and that our own view on life is more important that everyone elses. for example, giving is a selfish act, because you feel better about yourself when you do it, or you think its the right thing to do, either consciously or subconsciously.

we describe people as christian's, scientologists, Australians, Americans, Indians, Asians, blacks, gays, whites, educated, wealthy due to our human conditioning aswell.

how was this all this crap created?

human thought. everything around us that we believe in to be "right" like science, mathematics, religion, politics was all created by human thought, and human thought breeds conflict

if we can see the world for what it really is, when we are not influenced by our own past experiences and knowledge, then we will find solutions to these problems.

Well... This is based off a modified idea from my American History proffessor from a few semesters back. For the ultimate terrorist attack: 500 terrorists infiltrate the USA, and spread themselves out across the nation's states, 10 per state.

Day 1: 2 or 3 terrorists per state enter large schools, heavily armed, killing all adults and 99% of students, leaving a small handful alive, and extremely traumatized; similar to leaving a single soldier alive in a war to report back about the horrors committed

Day 4: same as day 1, different schools

Day 16: same as 1 and 4

Day 47: same as 1, 4, and 16.... by this time, all terrorists will be dead. The random timing will leave everyone on edge for months, if not years; schools are a soft target, since the most horrifying thing anyone can do is harm children. It would be one of the worst acts in history.

Luckily, it is very unlikely, since getting 500 terrorists into the United States and then keeping them concealed through the investigations which would surely follow the attacks would be near to impossible.

How does America win the war? By not treating it like a war. The only way to win in a religious war is not to get in one. There will always be nut jobs; that is a constant throughout all of recorded time. Education is a very important factor in preventing them from carrying out their depraved acts upon society. In addition to education, a global increase in standards of living would also help to prevent potential terrorists from going on killing sprees. Part of this is just the classic 'Haves vs Have Nots' conflict; the only difference now is people can see who the 'Haves' are from across the globe.

this right here is part of the problem

http://www.boredstop.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=157&Itemid=32

also lack of education by the government is a definite contributor.

i.e. My 8th grade history teacher while traveling in a foreign country met a woman who said that America launched a suprise attack against the Japanese in WWII

In Palestine schools are not allowed to admit the existence of the Holocaust in order to better portray the Israeli state as evil.

SO

the war will never end bc there will always be ppl who think that America is represented by that map and only that map (the link)