After reading this /
www.nytimes.com/2007/06/06/us/politics/06dems.html?ex=1338782400&en=767ee81321e6c496&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss]
I don't think we are safer per se. This is not your normal war. You can't ravage a single country and then declare "We are safe" A typical war would produce such solution when your enemy cannot operate no longer and need rebuild.
Terrorism is all over the place. They don't have a single location. They don't have a single "fund allocation" place. It is stemmed from all over the world by different nationality and countries. As long we have human rights, we will have terrorism. Because we can't just go out and shoot people who are terrorist or suspected terrorist without trial because of it.
Are we safer? I doubt it. It is harder for the normal people to travel, more headache and more FEES to do anything. A true terrorist will infiltrate whatever structure they needs and overtime access what they need to do what needs to be done......... we can't read minds, so anyone can be a terrorist.