FBI Director Robert S. Mueller met today with aSenate committee to discuss the threats facing the United States and the efforts of the FBIto protect the country over the past 10 years.
The discussion, entitled"Ten Years After 9/11: Are We Safer?" included Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet A. Napolitano and Mathew G. Olson, director of the National Counterterrorism Center.
"The FBI’s number one priority in this mission continues to be the prevention of terrorist attacks against the United States," Director Mueller said in his prepared remarks . "To improve its ability to detect and disrupt those with the intent and capability to conduct attacks in the United States, the FBI has undergone a paradigm shift in the way we collect and use intelligence."

its hard to prove if we are 'safer'

I mean, we pretty much dont get attacked, although we hear occasionally about random 'attempts' and 'plans' but who knows how many we dont hear about?


so, if we were once getting 1000 attempts per year and now get 10000,,,would that mean we are diverting even more than we used to and therefore safer? or would it mean we have even more attempts than before and therefore are not 'safer'?


I count my blessings that we have as much as we have and remain safe relative to many other places,, I dont worry too much about 'safer' than we 'were',,,,

trust me..were safer, i seen a lot of our protocals before and after 9/11 and i can say with certainty, were safer. if for no other reason, because the american people are more cautious now..theyre suspisious of anybody not from this country, that may sound bad but it acutally does help, a lot of these "attempts" that the rest of the country hears about, and even the ones they dont hear about, are because of diligence from civilians

There are many things we can objectively measure, and see improvements, but there are too many unknown factors. We just don't have the information needed to make meaningful objective comparison of whether we are 'safer' or not.


Its like...say you fix the brakes on a car, then ask: "Are you safer now than you were before?"

Well... has nothing else changed? Is the driver sleep deprived or drunk? Is there adequate lighting? Are you driving in a different area where people drive differently? Are all the signal lights working?


Just because one area has improved, which suggests we ought to be safer, doesn't mean other areas haven't gotten worse. Has there been an increase in motivation for terrorist acts? Are they better financed? Have they learned to circumvent our new safety measures?



Personally, I just don't worry at all about a terrorist threat. Statistically, it just doesn't matter to my personal safety risks. We lose so many people every year to lifestyle related deaths, accidents, and such... I'm more concerned about things that an actual chance of effecting my lifespan.

No, the war on terror was a simple front to remove our rights and freedoms from us. It was never about safety, that was just the reason to justify the BS.

Those who give up their liberty for temporary safety, deserve neither. That about sums up where we are right now.

You can't be afraid of life and living, but stuff like this makes us do just that. That was the intent in the first place, to get us so scared we'd give up every right we have to be "safe", and it has happened.

I would rather risk my life and have the freedom to do the things I wish to do, than be "safe" and have no rights at all.

safer = al queada in caves.

Good on you.....

Absolutely not. Although, the topic is defined only by title, the concept of "statistical probability of a US citizen being harmed by a non US citizen intent on harm ..." would include many illegal aliens in the US, not just Al Qaeda.

Which is worse, 3000 deaths caused by a dozen terrorists or 300,000 deaths, rapes, child molestations, and other violent crimes committed by 30,000 illegal aliens? How safe can we be when the border agents say 3 out of 4 persons crossing the border are not captured.

The actual statistics are indicative of as many as thirty million illegals currently in the US and as many as 10% of those committing crimes. The numbers included persons from many countries in the Middle East, not just South America. If only the grossly underestimated Government numbers are used, 10% of 12 million is 1.2 million crime committing bozos in the US.

There is another Mingle2 thread about the numbers involved. Felony crime at the federal level has risen to 52% of total Federal crime being committed by illegal aliens.

One can "feel" safer for any reason. The reality is something different.

Exactly.

Freedom and Liberty or "supposed" safety under the propoganda media, and the secrecy of the unconstitutional "Patriot Act" agencies controlled by the government?

Does anyone, or can anyone, prove there have actually been any attacks detered, when they are "investigated and controlled" by a secrecy act we will never have access to for over 50 years?

Our only "proof" comes from a controlled media source! Faith is a great thing when talking about religion, but when talking about losing my freedoms and liberties because the media/government says it will make me safer?....... WHERE'S THE PROOF?!

GIVE ME LIBERTY, I'LL CARE ABOUT MY OWN SAFETY, THANK YOU!

THE PATRIOT ACT IS A HIGH FENCE WITH BARBED WIRE AT THE TOP......FACING INWARD! (AND CAMERAS ON EVERY CORNER!)

We could face the sad irony that if another attack were to occur we may be better prepared than we were 10 years ago, but possibly not as better as we were three years ago.
Sen. Susan Collins, the committee's ranking Republican, said the new head of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, had the right background to wage a biological attack in the coming years.