Six years ago the United States was at peace and the World Trade Center was the most distinctive feature of the New York skyline. Since the twin towers were destroyed, killing thousands, the U.S. has invaded two nations and embarked on a twilight struggle against the al Qaeda terrorist network worldwide.

Those struggles continue. The Iraq war has become deeply unpopular. Most Americans say .the war was a mistake, give the government poor grades for conducting the war, and say they want to withdraw U.S. forces. More than 150,000 troops are stationed there, and while recent reports say the security situation has improved, there is still considerable doubt about U.S. progress there and how well the Iraqi government can sustain itself.

The war in Afghanistan is less controversial at home, but the U.S. and its NATO allies are still struggling to control the Taliban forces ousted from power in 2002. The al Qaeda group, damaged when it's Taliban allies were driven out, has rebuilt itself to some extent in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And the group now has spawned "franchises," small groups inspired by their example that have conducted terrorist attacks in Europe. Counterterrorism officials worry that these franchise groups pose a serious threat, because they're hard to spot and infiltrate