Dems: Why has the U.S. not seen a terrorist attack since 9/11?

Question

People like John Edwards think that our policies have failed to keep us safe, but this seems counter to the evidence that in the last almost six years there has not been a successful terrorist attack on our soil (though recent news about Fort Dix and JFK airport suggest that they have formed plans that failed). Could someone please ask him this question at the next debate? I can't imagine any reasonable answer. He'll probably throw out more slogans like "bumper sticker" and evade the question.

That's what I think. What do you think?

Sorry guys most of your answers don't work. The frequency of attacks on the U.S. is larger than you say. There had been two attacks on embassies in Africa which are considered U.S. Soil in 1998. Also, I shouldn't have said U.S. soil because that excluded the attack on the U.S.S. Cole in 2000.

Plus your arguments do not address the point that there have been numerous attempts that have been thwarted. Somehow they got thwarted. Were those examples cases of magic?

To Molly: I don't walk through an airport feeling scared of terrorism. Never even crossed my mind. I like the air restrictions. Would you rather not have them?

I think you bring up a good point though. I think an even bigger factor than our president's excellent anti-terrorism tactics is that with few exceptions terrorist leaders saw that the U.S. did not get scared but got angry. Their aims failed after 9-11 and so they turned to other less strong countries. If we elected someone like Edwards, it might indicate American weakness to them and they would have their hope renewed. That could only be a bad thing.

Answer 1

because our intelligence agencies are intercepting them and breaking them up before they can launch their attacks. people who think that there have been no attacks because there have been no attempts don't read the newspapers (or maybe only read the funny pages).
here is a little excerpt from a government report on terrorism...
Prevention of Terrorist Attacks is the FBI's Number One Priority. Both in the field offices and at Headquarters, the FBI has made preventing future terrorist attacks its top priority. Prior to September 11th, the FBI had approximately 1,300 Agents and 218 analysts working on counterterrorism matters. As of May 2003, those numbers have increased to 2,501 Agents and 251 analysts.

Improved Information Sharing with Intelligence Community Through TTIC. The FBI has partnered with CIA, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to integrate terrorist-related intelligence in the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) in an effort to provide seamless communication within the Intelligence Community.

Improved Coordination with the Central Intelligence Agency. We have increased the operational integration between the CIA and FBI since 9/11. From my daily morning briefings with CIA officers and George Tenet to the widespread assignment of executives, Agents, and analysts between the two agencies since 9/11, the FBI and the CIA have become integrated at virtually every level of our operations.

Improved Technology to Better Target Terrorists and Identify Terrorist Threats. The FBI is aggressively solving the persistent and incapacitating information technology problems. The Trilogy Program was designed as a 36-month effort to enhance the FBI's effectiveness through technologies that facilitate better organization, access and analysis of information. The overall direction of the Trilogy Program is to provide all FBI offices with improved network communications, a common and current set of office automation tools, and easy-to-use, re-engineered, web-based applications.

Established the Office of Intelligence. The Office of Intelligence will help ensure critical information is being collected. We have also established a strong reports officer cadre at FBI Headquarters and in the field offices to facilitate timely dissemination of intelligence from agents to analysts within the FBI and other agencies within the Intelligence Community.

Significantly Increased Resources Allocated to Counterterrorism Analysis. Since 9/11, the FBI has increased resources for both counterterrorism and counterterrorism analysis. We have increased the number of Intelligence Operations Specialists from 65 to 345. We have increased Counterterrorism Intelligence Analysts from 41 to 130. We are requesting an additional 214 analytical positions for Counterterrorism in its FY 2004 budget.

Improved Information Sharing with State and Local Law Enforcement. The FBI has increased the number of Joint Terrorism Task Forces from 35 to 66, which are located in each of the FBI's 56 field offices and 10 resident agencies, to allow better coordination and information sharing with state and local law enforcement. The Office of Law Enforcement Coordination was created as a new division within the FBI to enhance the coordination and communication between the FBI and state, municipal, county and tribal law enforcement on a national level. Additionally, the FBI Intelligence Bulletin is published once a week and provided to state and local law enforcement agencies through the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS), e-mail or facsimile.

Established the National Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) at FBI Headquarters. The National JTTF complements task forces established throughout the country and improves collaboration and timely information sharing with other agencies. The FBI currently has representation of 26 federal agencies and two state and local law enforcement officials who report to the FBI's Command Center as part of this initiative.

Expanded Recruitment of Vital Language Skills. The FBI has expanded the recruitment of agents and analysts with the linguistic skills needed in counterterrorism efforts. The FBI has already instituted aggressive efforts to identify and recruit new agents and analysts with critical language skills. Currently, the FBI has 1138 Language Specialists and Contract Linguists who provide translation support in 60 foreign Languages. Since February 2002, the FBI has received over 70,000 applicants for agent positions, including over 11,000 who identified themselves as possessing critical language skills.

FBI Employees Are a Vital Asset to the Mission of Preventing Terrorist Attacks. The FBI has another advantage that should not be underestimated -- its people. FBI employees are as thorough as they are tireless. Special Agents and analysts have proven this time and again when a case is all but forgotten. When it comes to follow up, FBI personnel are second to none. These attributes are crucial for tracking down shadowy pieces of intelligence and determining their validity.

Patriot Act Has Allowed Sharing of Critical Information Related to Counterterrorism Investigations. Changes in the Patriot Act and Justice Department policies have allowed for greater information sharing among law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The walls that inhibited the sharing of that information prior to September 11 have crumbled. Additionally, training for new Special Agents includes specific instruction on FISA, including detailed instruction on the U.S.A. Patriot Act, as well as how to use FISA and Title III effectively, in criminal versus intelligence investigations.

Increased Efforts to Infiltrate Terrorist Organizations Operating in the United States. The FBI's reallocation of manpower and effort to combat terrorism since September 11th has resulted in a significant increase in the use of all investigative collection tools. While the exact numbers are classified, we have utilized these methods with much greater frequency - and to great effect - in terrorism investigations since September 11, 2001. As a result, terrorist cells from Lackwanna, New York to Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington have been taken down.

Improved Training. The FBI has re-designed its core training curriculum to focus on essential skills for counterterrorism investigations. Additionally, the FBI has significantly improved strategic analytical capabilities by creating the College of Analytical Studies to train new analysts and enhance the skills of current analysts to better understand the process of "connecting the dots."

Stronger Accountability. In order to ensure accountability, executive management has regularly reinforced the new priorities through regular communication to the field, through inspections of the 56 field offices, and through frequent gatherings of the Special Agents in Charge of the field offices.

"In the war against terrorism, knowing who, what, where and when - before it happens -
is critical. The FBI is ready and willing to meet the ongoing challenge of terrorism. By
continuing to restructure, improving our intelligence capabilities, and building on our traditional strengths, the FBI will continue to fulfill its mission to protect America."

Answer 2

ok i can see how you would think that, but the fact of the matter is, there have been no major attempts to attack us since 9/11. What bush is doing hasn't really made us safer. What he has done is use 9/11 as an excuse to get america into a war that we really have nothing to do with, drove us 4 to 5 times deeper into debt, while at the same time, allowing Osama bin Laden (the one that was actually behind the 9/11 attacks) to walk free. Now, since Obama wants to actually go after bin laden and al qaeda in afghanistan, i dont really see how he could be THAT much worse than bush...

Answer 3

There's no one specific we can or should thank for not being attacked since 9/11. Thank Bush or the Congress or anybody else is foolish. The only thing we have to thank is ourselves. We all now know (legislatures, government officials, police and other emergency services, and the general public) that we are not invulnerable, we're not 100% safe, and 9/11 was a wakeup call.

We've improved security and look for things we didn't before. And while not every change we have made is not for the better, we now watch or things tighter, which is why they caught the Fort Dix & JFK International attempts.

It is always possible it's just luck that we haven't been attacked since, but I hope luck isn't all that's prevented it.

Answer 4

Because the aim of terrorism is to create terror go through the airport and say you don't feel the terror and they have done what they wanted drove a wedge firmly in the middle of the two political parties.
You know what amazes me with all intelligence and the fact we are so much more advanced than them ,they seem to be winning so who really are the smart ones.
Also another aim of terrorists is to kill they don't care where they do that and George Bush handed them a platter of soldiers to kill everyday in Iraq.
I find ironical in the land of the brave that some Americans would rather have their soldiers fighting in a foreign land to keep them safe from further attacks, they are not dispensable these young men they have families as well and every time a soldier is killed that is a terrorist attack on them.

Answer 5

Maybe those conspiracy people and that whole "America in the new century manifest" was right...Bush and his superiors accomplished what they needed so they don't need anymore terrorist attacks on U.S soil. They are having some success in finding enemies around the world to focus on.

Answer 6

We have, but not as many as before 9/11. We've seen less because national security has tightened up.

Answer 7

Because they have been to busy slaughtering our son's and daughter's in Iraq, no need for them to come here when we went to them. Thank you Bush administration. Way to think it through. Don't be the guy that party blame's here. G.W wanted this war and so did those beneath him, they started it. And my my my how this just happened to put so much money in Haliburton's pocket's. Stop with the nonsense of blaming democrat's for all the failure's of this insane administration. Lay the blame where is belongs squarely in the lap of G.W and all the sheeple that follow him. TY GG!

Answer 8

If the time between terror attacks on American soil is your gauge of success, consider that it's been 6 years since the terror attacks of 9-11-01, but 7 1/2 years passed between the attacks of 2-93 and 9-01.

In the meantime, terrorism has grown in the middle east in response to the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. This is not a partisan view, it's the conclusion of all 16 of the US intelligence agencies.

"Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting U.S. Terror Fight"

"A 30-page National Intelligence Estimate completed in April [1996] cites the "centrality" of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the insurgency that has followed, as the leading inspiration for new Islamic extremist networks and cells ...It concludes that, rather than contributing to eventual victory in the global counterterrorism struggle, the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/23/AR2006092301130.html

Answer 9

We don't know what the terrorists are planning for the future. Pretending that Bush and company have the situation under control and have prevented terrorists attacks since 9/11 is naive thinking. All Bush is doing by sending more and more troops to Iraq to be killed is to make us more venerable to attack on US soil as we have less military here to protect us.

Answer 10

What do you think of G.I's and american civilian killed in outside wars ?

Are you happy with Patriot Act?

Here is a french sentence «ces mystères nous dépassent, feignons d'en être les organisateurs» we don't understand those misteries, let's pretend we organized them...

You did not have a war on your G for 100 years.

In Europe, terrorism is often killing people and we got WW2 50 years ago - see london's tube attack. Twin tower's attack killed 3000 people. How many people are killed by guns everyday on your ground?

@hypno_toad1 you're right.

Answer 11

Maybe the Intelligence Agencies are finally doing what they are being paid for, and not telling Bush only what he wants to hear?