I completely agree that not interfering with the middle east would have been the way to go. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed, and there is no undo button.

> The most effective way to get rid of terrorists is to take away their recruitment base, by not giving people more reasons to attack.

Yes, but this is not an option in this case because their demands are simply not reasonable. What are we to do? Convert to islam or kill ourselves? They have no single reasonable demand or space for compromise. Are we to enact laws that go against the very principles of our civilization, purely out of fear? There is no simple way out of this.