WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- More than half Americans did not feel their country was safer from terrorism than it was before9/11, according to a CNN poll released Thursday.

    Fifty-seven percent of the 1,033 adults surveyed on Aug. 18-20 said they thought the country was less safe now than it was before the 9/11 attacks or just as safe, while 43 percent thought it was safer.

    Fifty-four percent thought it was "very likely" or "somewhat likely" that an act of terrorism would occur in the United States within the next several weeks, and 36 percent said they were worried that they or their families could become victims of terrorism.

    Eleven percent said they believed their community would be the target of such an attack. Additionally, if their community was attacked, 70 percent said they considered the local police force unprepared.

    Fifty-five percent believed that the federal government was unprepared for a terrorist attack targeting any U.S. town or city.

    Another 52 percent said the government was unprepared to handle the damage such an attack might cause. Enditem