"What should have been done..."
Oddly, not one nation who gives us advice like this seems to be willing to go off and show us how it should be done. Imagine the coup against the haughty U.S. when the skillfully-formed agents from Europe bring back Zawahiri's head on a platter! No one would applaud louder than I would.
Let me know when the Enlightened decide to give their mighty policemen a try at prying al Qaeda out of their bases. I ain't holding my breath.
Or maybe you're hoping they're just going to leave you alone.
Europe will have to learn the lessons the hard way, like the U.S. did.