Hillary Rodham Clinton - Is the U.S. safer from terrorism today than it was before 9/11?

<< Hillary Rodham Clinton - The War on Terror

Hillary Rodham Clinton The U.S. is safer from terrorism today than it was before 9/11. "I believe we are safer than we were."

Evidence approved (10/21/2006 10:35:53 PM)

Hillary: "We are safer but not safe enough"

This is Hillary at her finest trying to play both sides for her Presidential run. But she did say we are safer...

Matt Lauer gave it the old college try, doing his best to lure Hillary Clinton into some Bush-bashing on the fifth anniversary of 9/11. But demonstrating savvy political instincts, or at least those of her advisers, Clinton held fire, not deigning to swing at the anti-Bush softballs Lauer served up on this morning's 'Today.'

Lauer: "Are we safer today five years after the attacks of 9-11?"

Hillary: "I think it is fair to say we are safer but not safe enough. We have a lot of work to do."

Lauer lobbed a couple questions inviting Hillary to suggest that our war on terrorism has made things worse:

"I am curious how you feel about this. Do you think there are more or less people today, more or fewer people today who want to bring harm to the United States than there were in the days prior to 9-11 and the actions we have taken post 9-11?"

And then: "Our response to 9-11 - has it created more enemies?"

Hillary's answers were guarded: "There are probably more. I think first of all, the copycat effect always happens. There is some kind of a tragic event, from our perspective tragic. From the enemy's perspective, explosive for worldwide attention. People want to be in that category unfortunately. I think also that we have seen actions take place in countries like our own, Britain, Spain and other places where are lots of local groups that share the idealogy.

Evidence approved (6/4/2007 7:15:02 PM)

"I believe we are safer than we were."

In last night's Democratic debate, Clinton said:

MR. BLITZER: Senator Clinton, do you agree with Senator Edwards that this war on terror is nothing more than a bumper sticker, at least the way it's been described?

SEN. CLINTON: No, I do not. I am a senator from New York. I have lived with the aftermath of 9/11.

And I have seen firsthand the terrible damage that can be inflicted on our country by a small band of terrorists who are intent upon foisting their way of life and using suicide bombers and suicidal people to carry out their agenda. And I believe we are safer than we were. We are not yet safe enough, and I have proposed over the last year a number of policies that I think we should be following.

Transcript at the New York Times