The basic Republican assumption that the "terrorists" hate American democracy and freedom is incorrect.
What the "terrorists" actually hate is the American presence in the Middle East - in countries considered to be Muslim. 9/11 occurred because of the American presence in Saudia Arabia. Recall that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabians. The continued "terrorism" in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and in Iraq, is based and draws its sustinence from the continued American presence in those countries.
The time has come, not to cut-and-run, but to realize the actual forces that are at work, and to eliminate the cause of the continued turmoil - the American presence in the Middle East.