How Should U.S. React to Paris Terrorist Attack?

CAREFULLY. The last time the U.S. responded to a major terrorist attack, it invaded Afghanistan, and then Iraq. It created turmoil so massive that ISIS emerged from the wreckage of a collapsed Iraq. Had intelligent U.S. leadership reigned, the White House would have instead criminalized 9/11 from the start. Instead,  the Bush Administration, spurred on by the neoconservatives, launched an attack against all of Islamic civilization. Had we been smart, we would instead have used   sympathy in the Muslim world for America after 9/11 to bring the perpetrators to justice.

My point here is that our response to the Paris massacre of 120 people must be smart. The perpetrators are provoking the West into rash actions that can be used to drum up support for their cause. As horrific as this attack was, it might be an act of desperation in the face of the perpetrators' losses and dwindling support. We do have the capacity to choose being strategic and therefore effective in our response rather than playing into their hands by acting irrationally out of fear.