Nine Years After 9/11, Is Al-Qaeda's Threat Overrated?

It has been nine years since the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers, yet al-Qaeda still seems to be a huge threat to the United States. However, is the rate of al-Qaeda’s threat really as high as we think it is? Even all these years later, al-Qaeda and bin Laden are a hot topic for National Security agents.  President Barack Obama said the burning of the Koran would be a recruitment tool for such extremities. He said, “No challenge is more essential to our security than our fight against al-Qaeda.” Also, systematic police work and military strikes have reduced bin Laden’s movement to a handful of followers that are hiding for U.S. drones in Pashtunistan.

In my opinion, yes, al-Qaeda is an overrated threat to our soil. It’s important that National Security stays informed about al-Qaeda and the possible threat he can be to our nation. However, there is a limit to how much importance we give this threat. We have to realize that the attacks took place 9 years ago, and although there still is a threat to us, it’s not such a major issue anymore. I’m not saying we shouldn’t give al-Qaeda any importance, but I feel that we should limit the amount of importance we give him.