I think General Petraeus is already half way there. If you haven't already done so, check out the Counterinsurgency Manual that he co-wrote. It's simplicity itself. The idea is this: the goal of the insurgent is to convince the population that the current government has no legitimacy. The counterinsurgent response? Convince the population that the government is legitimate. Part of that is media, part of that is word of mouth. But you know what matters above all else, in the end? Make the government BE legitimate. Stop corruption. Provide security. Give justice. Promote wealth. Don't just pretend to be a legitimate government ... deliver on your promises. Force government to do what it's supposed to do. What a concept! What's the famous quote from Clausewitz? War is just politics by other means? Therein also lies the key to how to stop war: make government honor its politics with justice.

Just my opinion ... developing weapons will never abolish war. It will only lead to more deadly weapons. Instead, the abolition of war can only come if there is no need for it, or if it's seen as more trouble than its worth. And that can only come if governments can succeed in their intended functions.

Why is the American military nervous about leaving Iraq? One word: corruption. The Iraq government is still too corrupt for our taste, and we're worried that if we leave before we can prune out enough of it, the people will once again hate the government. Then Iran and al-Qaeda will whisper in the ear of every Iraqi, "see, we told you this American system won't work for you." Then the civil war will be back, worse than it was before. That's why they don't want to leave just yet. The conditions on the ground have as much to do with corruption as they do with physical attacks.

Violence goes down when justice goes up. War goes up as corruption goes up. That will always be the key to ending or winning warfare ... convincing the hearts and minds of the people.