[andyl]

Gaining an understanding of your enemy's background, capabilities and motivations is not a 'courtesy'. Rather, such knowledge is needed to achieve victory.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles."

[rubyfan]

You are making a fine point, but I think the spirit of your comment is quite different from the original from @williamle8300.

Your point a agree with on a big picture level, the war fighters and analysts and policy makers need to understand capabilities and motivation of the enemy. I'm not a war fighter and I don't believe it makes any sense for me or other Joe Average Citizen to empathize or understand a psychopathic foreign enemy. Understanding in this case won't get you far.