Police methods work well where there are policemen.
If Al Capone had been based in some foreign nation hostile to the U.S., it might have been a bit harder to take him down.
Interestingly, Al Capone tried to ingratiate himself to the public during the Depression with social programs like Hezbollah. Didn't work.
If your suggested tactics are to stay out of hostile terror-supporting nations, and just try to intercept the terrorists as they come after us on our own soil, that's another discussion. Unfortunately, this kind of defensive tactic might require some