Who's Winning the War on Terror?

Al Qaeda set out to attack, entangle, bleed, and weaken the United States. Seven years on, we have not been hit again. Or have we? In the pocketbook, in military readiness, in global standing?

The United States is certainly entangled, bled, and — on many fronts — weakened. And Al Qaeda’s still out there.

This hour, On Point: American security, American strategy, seven years after 9/11.

Are we better off today than we were seven years ago? Even without another attack on American soil, has Bin Laden won? What should the U.S. do now to secure its homeland and its place in the world? Does John McCain have the answer? Does Barack Obama? Do you? Join the conversation and tell us what you think.Guests:

Joining us from Berlin is Craig Whitlock, a staff writer for The Washington Post. He's been covering the U.S. campaign against Al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas. His front-page article in yesterday's Post reported that U.S. and Pakistani officials are shifting tactics in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

Joining us from Vancouver is Bruce Hoffman. He’s a professor of security studies at Georgetown University and a world-renowned expert on terrorism and insurgency. A revised and updated version of his acclaimed 1998 book, "Inside Terrorism," was published in 2006.

And joining us in our studio is Stephen Van Evera. He’s a professor of political science at MIT and an expert on foreign policy and security. His recent article, "A Farewell to Geopolitics," appears in the new volume "To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine."