Kind of a far-fetched comparison, things have changed since WWII. How does Monte Casino have direct relevance to the decisions being made in the present day "Long War" (as the Pentagon has labeled the War on Terror)?

Sure the monastery at Monte Casino was bombed out. In WWII entire cities were destroyed along with their innocent civilians. It was a past era that doesn't compare when speaking of how things are viewed by man these days, but I suppose the Geneva convention was still followed. Different generations can hold different, but not neccessarily better or worse, values.