EDITORIAL DANGEROUS AS EVER FOILED TERROR ATTACKS SHOW NEED FOR VIGILANCE.

THE good news, according to President George W. Bush, is that in the four years since 9-11, America and its allies have thwarted 10 separate al-Qaida plots in the U.S. and abroad.

And that is good news. Those 10 plots include one against the Library Tower in Los Angeles. There are also five other cases in which the government reports stopping terrorists from casing potential targets or infiltrating operatives into the country.

But when the subject is terror, even the best of news contains plenty of bad.

Ten thwarted terrorist attacks means that, on at least 10 occasions since 9-11, terrorists have plotted major strikes that could have resulted in massive casualties. The country's enemies haven't slowed down, and it only takes one ``successful'' strike for them to wreak major damage.

Then there are the attacks that no one was able to stop: Madrid, London, Bali (twice), plus smaller strikes elsewhere around the globe.

Foiled terrorist plots - which may or may not include last week's scare over the New York City subway - have a dangerous way of lulling us into a false sense of security. But the frequency of these missions ought to be a powerful reminder that we cannot afford to let down our guard even for a minute.

The atrocities of 9-11 might seem like long ago, but the need for vigilance is as great as ever.