my answer is unequivocally yes. look, al qaeda flourished when governments the world over treated it as a minor annoyance rather than a major national security challenge. since 9/11, cockpit doors are now sealed so ples can t be used as bombs. other simple security measures that focus on travel have made open societies much less vulnerable. al qaeda terrorists and their ilk are being chased around the mountains of afghanistan. they are being bombed in pakistan. their money trails are being tracked the world over. it s very tough to plan major terrorist attacks in that environment. so smaller local groupinspired but not directed by al qaeda have found ways to attack easy, open targets like cafes, nightclubs, traistations. but the result is th kill locals rather than americans or brits or foreign soldiers. and of course is means that