Focus on surveillance

Re “Spying up, but terror cases drop,” May 12

Civil liberties groups suggest that decreased numbers of terrorism prosecutions are evidence that government surveillance of terrorist suspects is ineffective. The more obvious conclusion is that these measures have acted as a deterrent and, along with many other techniques, have helped federal authorities keep us safe from further domestic attack.

Brian Snaer

San Marino

Have we grown so afraid of attacks that we will give up our rights? If we have gone that far, the terrorists and their apologists have already won this so-called war on ideas.

Ian Fraigun

Sylmar