Eleven years after the most devastating terrorist attack in history, some in America pretend that the threat of jihad or Islamist terrorism has waned to such an extent that it is no longer a priority.
While President Obama does not go this far himself, he comes close. The president has said that al Qaeda is “on the path to defeat,” and has justified the end of the war in Iraq, and the coming end of the war in Afghanistan, as necessary to deal with emerging threats emanating from the Asia-Pacific. For his part, Republican challenger Mitt Romney only briefly mentioned Osama bin Laden, while avoiding the terrorist threat in general, during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention last month.
There is no question that al Qaeda has sustained significant losses among its top leadership, including the death of Osama bin Laden. However, the idea that al Qaeda is on the verge of strategic defeat, as Obama administration officials have claimed, is much more dubious. The jihadists control territory in various hotspots and are waging a prolific insurgency throughout much of the Middle East and Africa.
Al Qaeda, its affiliates, and its allies still kill and wound thousands of people each year.
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