They would likely want to hit around the holidays at the end of the year. That way they get to hit Bush, but not give him enough time to formulate a good counter attack.
They can then do the middle east trick of offering to negotiate after a strike and before the counterstrike. A lot of Dems would say that they were just trying to hit back at the President who attacked them, and would oppose any serious response.
They would sell the new administration as a "new beginning" in diplomatic relations with the Islamic world through which we can resolve our differences and live together in peace.
God forbid, if that happened, would
it suspend the transition?