Our country was attacked when our embassies were attacked. The two governments are accountable for not protecting the embassies and are thereby complicit for not doing so. I am very familiar with the ME and they think our president is weak and a joke. They also thought GWB was crazy enough to nuke Mecca and feared him. There are people on this board that are applying western thought processes to the people of the ME and that is simply irrational.
You can only deal with these people from a position of strength and now is the time to send the message.
Cut off the money and let these countries fall and reemerge, it will be in our best interests in the long run.
Teddy Roosevelt says it best:
"In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."