War on terror ... Obama's big in Alaska ... Sears, Army team up

WASHINGTON -- Seven years on, the war on terror -- at least at home -- may well have been won.

Though they couch that conclusion to give them cover if another incident occurs, a number of respected experts on al Qaeda and allied terror outfits are saying the absence of a Sept. 11, 2001-scale attack -- or even a pale shadow of it -- within the United States since the Twin Towers fell means the domestic anti-terror war has been a success.

One of the foremost scholars on al Qaeda -- Peter Bergen, a fellow at New York University's Center on Law and Security -- says there is now only a small chance that the Islamic extremist group would be able to attack the United States in the next five years.

He and other experts contend that risk remains for U.S. businesses or embassies in other countries. But even overseas, the threat appears to be diminishing.

In 2007, a survey by the magazine Foreign Policy of top analysts found that 91 percent believed the world was becoming more dangerous for Americans and the United States. This year, just 71 percent do.

X...X...X

At least until now, the top presidential fund-raiser in Alaska has been Barack Obama, not John McCain. According to the watchdog group OpenSecrets.org, Obama has collected about $218,000 to McCain's $140,000.

In all, Alaska ranks dead last in total contributions for federal candidates this year, with just $2.6 million donated so far. That compares to the $209 million contributed by donors in California, the No. 1 state.

X...X...X

Sears and the Army have just cut a deal that gives the national retailer permission to sell sportswear inspired by the clothing of the service's storied 1st Infantry Division.

Called the "First (cq) Infantry Division Clothing Collection," the line will feature "authentic lifestyle reinterpretations of the fit, design and performance of regulation uniforms and military-issued gear," all with the Army's seal of approval, according to Sears' press release.

There will be T-shirts, hoodies, sweaters and jackets for men, women and boys -- all of "rugged construction" and "iconic styling," and retailing from $12 for a T-shirt to $120 for a coat.

Sears says profits from the sales will benefit troops and their families. The clothes will debut at 550 stores next month.

X...X...X

The Russians may have planted their flag on the seafloor beneath the North Pole, but that hardly means the United States and Canada are ceding the Arctic or its potential oil and gas riches.

Thus, a pair of icebreakers from the U.S. and Canadian coast guards are embarking on a three-week cruise to map the seafloor and conduct geological studies on what's below the extended continental shelf beyond the standard 200 nautical miles from shore. All data will be shared by both nations.

Although the Arctic this fall will be approaching its most ice-free conditions in modern times, winter can come in hard, making the two-nation fleet a matter of safety as well as sovereignty.

X...X...X

It may feel like your job is killing you, but, in fact, American workplaces are getting safer. A newly released report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the 5,488 fatal occupational injuries that occurred last year were 6 percent fewer than those in 2006.

Even so, the number of fatal falls -- 835 -- represented a nearly 40 percent increase since 1992, when the first census of occupational injuries was conducted.

The 610 workplace homicides that occurred last year amounted to 13 percent more than the 540 in 2006, which was the lowest number since the census began. The deadliest year? That was 1994, when 1,080 were killed at work.

(Scripps Howard News Service correspondent Lee Bowman contributed to this column. E-mail Lisa Hoffman at hoffmanl(at)shns.com.)