U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, during his vacation August 20, 2014. Obama on Wednesday vowed that the United States will not be swayed from airstrikes against Islamic State after the group beheaded an American journalist, an act he said is proof that the militants stand for no religion. Obama's response to the execution of James Foley marked his strongest condemnation yet of Islamic State militants, and he gave no sign of a pause in U.S. targeting of militant positions in Iraq. Reuters

The 13th anniversary of 9/11 World Trade Attack became an occasion for Americans to express their feelings on security. According to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Americans are feeling less safe than they were before the 9/11 attacks, reported Yahoo! News.

Conducted from Sept. 3-7, the poll said 47 percent of 1,000 registered voters felt the country as less safe. This was double the percentage of people who felt insecure after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack at the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

The poll showed the level of fear among Americans and a doubling of it. A year after the Sept 9/11 attacks, 20 percent said the country was less safe. Now only 26 per cent of Americans believe that the nation is safer than what it was before 9/11.

Beheading Act

Significantly, the poll came in the aftermath of the beheadings of American journalists by Islamic State militants and ahead of President Barack Obama's address to the nation. The President is expected to announce the details of the proposed U.S. action to combat extremists in Syria and Iraq.

The fear levels have clearly spiked since last year, when 28 percent of Americans were feeling unsafe.

Less Confidence In Obama

An interesting twist in the poll was that a good number of Americans have little confidence in President Obama on matters of security and foreign affairs. The NBC poll found only 32 percent of voters approving Obama's handling of foreign affairs. It is a setback for the president.

But 6 in 10 Americans are ready to back the military action against the Islamic State, which is spreading global terror after capturing large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria to set up an Islamic caliphate.However, 13 per cent of Americans feel military strikes against the Islamic militants will not serve the interests of the country.

Republicans Most Favoured

The survey showed a marked preference for Republicans, whose popularity soared monumentally among Americans. On the question, which party they would trust on strong national defence, the preference for Republicans coincided with the least number of voters at 32 per cent approving President Barack Obama's ability in handling foreign policy affairs, reported Breitbart.