True, but even Saudi Arabia very much fits the description of the latter - that's not something that America has the power to eradicate by any justifiable method. The key difference is that Saudi Arabia doesn't mind working with the US and behaves fairly passively as a middle-eastern power.
Unfortunately, living with conservative Islamic elements will be a fact of life for the world for a while yet. But there is a big difference between conservative Islamic elements (in their majority) sitting quietly and minding their own business in the desert and trading oil for various goods with the US, versus conservative Islamic elements flexing their military muscle at everyone around them.
And, hey, I don't see the US going to war against Saudi Arabia anytime soon - terrorists are terrorists, but it's higher-level cooperation or hostility otherwise that makes a difference :hmm:
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