Is the U.S. winning the war on terror? It's been seven years since 9/11 prompted the U.S. war against terrorism.

• Author: Gelb, Leslie H.
• Position: DEBATE

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YES

The United States and our partners are winning the war on terror. Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have strengthened our capabilities to defend our homeland and take the fight to terrorist groups. We can see progress on several fronts:

First, we have more knowledge of the enemy. Before 9/11, our intelligence and law-enforcement communities were prevented from fully cooperating with each other. Today, agencies at all levels of government are working together more effectively. We are cooperating with airlines, phone companies, and other businesses--and sharing more timely intelligence with other nations.

Second, we are taking the fight to the terrorists. U.S. forces are helping Afghanistan defeat the Taliban, and our troop surge in Iraq is helping to keep Al Qaeda in Iraq on the run. We have disrupted terrorist plots, exposed terrorist cells, and denied terrorists financial resources.

Third, we are winning the war of ideas. The people of Afghanistan and Iraq's Anbar Province saw what life was like under the terrorists, and they rejected it. Across the Middle East, independent polls confirm that Al Qaeda's totalitarian vision is increasingly unpopular and that people want a future of freedom, prosperity, and peace.

Finally, we have bolstered our security here at home. New federal agencies, better port security, and more-effective border controls have all helped keep us safe since 9/11. The war on terror is not yet won, but the U.S. and our partners are making progress, while the terrorists increasingly face rejection and defeat.

--STEPHEN J. HADLEY

National Security Adviser

NO

The United States is almost certainly not winning the war against international terrorists and is probably losing it.

The best hard evidence on this complicated subject is the number of terrorist incidents worldwide. According to the State Department, these attacks...