This Week In Review article by Lowell Bergman follows up on the essay -- previously recommended here -- in the current issue of Foreign Affairs.
There are few counterterrorism success stories more compelling than that of Raed al-Banna.
The absence of new attacks, even as terrorist violence worldwide has increased and bombers have struck in Madrid, London and beyond, "is not pure luck."
The Age of Terror, at least inside the United States, has morphed into the Age of the Foiled Plot. But this very success has led to a new debate.
A new study of all "terrorism-related" prosecutions since 9/11 found that of 417 people charged in the cases, the overwhelming majority faced immigration or other lesser charges. Just 39 have been convicted so far on terrorism-related charges, and only three of actual terrorism.
Tom Kean, the chairman of the 9/11 commission, says that the FBI has sometimes squandered huge resources on minor domestic cases.
"I’d prefer to bust conspiracies so early that someone doesn’t have access to a weapon."
Mr. Arquilla said, "I think making arrests in the Florida case actually made us less secure."
