The Pakistan-Afghanistan border area is essentially a safe place for al Qaeda to hang its shingle out -- and last week's "truce" with tribal militants in north Waziristan tribal area of Pakistan did nothing to help, claims this NYT article.

An NYT article examines the question of whether the U.S. is "safer" five years after 9/11. A sub-question that could be asked is whether the Bush administration has overblown the terror threat at times for partisan political reasons.