In regards to "civilian injury", I propose that Osama himself could have the same position (w/the exception of the simple fact he wants all Americans/Isreali's dead). His targets were the Pentagon (military), White House (political & military) and the WTC (to make a point & offices of FBI). So, where are American viewpoints different?
No civilian/miltary people in the United States can say for sure what is happening over there - we only have what our government wants us to know. And this is the way it should be, to protect our own people. The American/British forces could be doing a whole host of different things over there, and we wouldn't know, even if we belong to the military.
To say its War - yes it is, but Osama had declared WAR along time ago and no one paid any attention (or a slap on the wrist response). To some extent, our ignorance and indifference for the past decades has led to this tragedy as well. Our gutting our FBI and CIA to bear bones has made their jobs of good intelligence & spying almost impossible. Our politicians made it "illegal" to pay bad people for good information - how else would you get it?