Lord Reginald Smithers wrote:
I would say the Islamic extremist war against the west is exactly the same
as the Jap attacking the US.

The "Jap"?

Anyway,

The Japanese used an organized military force representing an
established government to attack another organized military force
representing an established government. The Japanese were under the
mistaken impression that a formal declaration of war had been presented
to the opposing government.

To compare the Japanese to the theocratic or anarchist religious
fanatics now sneaking around with bombs to blow up innocent civilians
defames the Japanese and unduly credits the terrorists.

To believe we will defeat the terrorists in the same manner and with
the same methods we defeated the Japanese, or that the war will ever
end, or that there is anyone who can execute a surrender document that
would bind all the splinter groups of competing fanatics to stop
committing acts of terror would be simple minded.