6 in 10 Americans Believe Terrorists Are Living in Their Hometown, Fox News Poll Reveals

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter Friday, May 15, 2015

A police officer prevents attendees from leaving the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest after shots were fired outside the venue in Garland, Texas, May 3, 2015. Two gunman who opened fire on Sunday at the anti-Islam art exhibit featuring depictions of Muhammad were themselves shot dead at the scene, a local CBS television affiliate and other local media reported, citing Garland police. | (Photo: Reuters/Mike Stone)

A Fox News poll published on Thursday has revealed that as many as six in 10 Americans, or 60 percent, believe that terrorists are living in their hometown. The number is slightly higher than the 58 percent of respondents who thought the same in June 2002, nine months after the 9/11 attacks.

Among the wide-ranging questions, 29 percent of respondents said it was "very likely" that terrorists are living in their city or hometown, and another 31 percent said that it is "somewhat likely." Still, most Americans, or 65 percent, said that they are somewhat or very confident that intelligence agencies will be able to uncover real terror threats in America in time to prevent attacks.

The poll found that 60 percent of Americans also believe that the country is still in a recession, while 53 percent of voters said that President Barack Obama's administration has not been "competent and effective" in managing the federal government.

The president's job approval rating remained at 44 percent, with 51 percent of respondents disapproving of the job he has been doing.

The Fox News poll conducted phone interviews with 1,006 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide from May 9-12, and said the poll's margin of sampling error falls between plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Last week terror group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack at a cartoon contest featuring images of the Muslim prophet Muhammad in Garland, Texas, the first time it has taken credit for actions on U.S. soil.
Two gunmen opened fire outside the exhibit, wounding an off-duty police officer, but were shot dead by a lone police officer.

ISIS has warned, however, that the attack is only the first of others to come.

"We say to the defenders of the cross, the U.S., that future attacks are going to be harsher and worse. The Islamic State soldiers will inflict harm on you with the grace of God. The future is just around the corner," the terror group said.

Days later an online message from an ISIS supporter claimed that the Islamic militants have 71 trained soldier in the U.S., with a number of them ready to carry out attacks in 15 different states.

"Out of the 71 trained soldiers 23 have signed up for missions like Sunday, we are increasing in number," read the warning attributed to Abu Ibrahim Al Ameriki, the moniker of an American believed to have joined a terror group in Pakistan several years ago. "Of the 15 states, five we will name: Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, California, and Michigan."

Authorities are investigating but have not yet confirmed whether there are indeed ISIS-linked terror cells stationed in the U.S.

The terror group, which has captured territory in Iraq and Syria and has been at war against a U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes in the region, has issued warnings to America on a number of occasions. In January, it threatened to behead Obama and turn the U.S. into a Muslim province in one of its many propaganda videos.