I am of the opinion that taking the fight to them has depleted the terrorists of resources and leadership and that the injection of democracy, doomed to failure it may or may not be, will prove to be beneficial in the long run. The lives lost over there, while tragic and worthy of our respect, are of a number so small when compared to our population of around 300 million that they become an acceptable statistic in our role as "global cop".
And yes, I think it's just buying us some time...