Randall Larsen - Our Own Worst Enemy: Asking the Right Questions About Security to Protect You, Your Family, and America

Copyright 2007 by Randall Larsen

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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First eBook Edition: September 2007

ISBN: 978-0-446-40299-6

This book is dedicated to the men and women who serve on the front lines of homeland securitythose who work to prevent attacks and those who stand ready to respond. The criticisms in this book are not directed at these dedicated professionals. It is Americas political leaders who deserve the criticismand, of course, those of us who elect them.

THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN FOR AMERICANS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE security of their families and local communities, and for those who take the time and effort to vote. It was not written for policy wonks. (Policy wonks are those in the nations capital whose lifes focus is policy. They are the ones at their kids soccer games who are discussing the latest Beltway buzz, and who watch C-SPAN in bed.)

Since 9/11, my efforts have focused on attempting to shape the thinking of senior administration and congressional leaders, in addition to the army of policy wonks here in the nations capital. After four and a half years on this path, I decided it was time for a change. This new focus developed over a six-month period, but the precipitating event was the Dubai Ports scandal in February 2006.

I work very hard to maintain my nonpartisan credentials because many homeland security issues quickly divide into Republican and Democratic positions. In the Dubai Ports issue, I didnt have to face that problemit was the epitome of bipartisan lunacy coupled with bipartisan vote pandering, compounded by media hyperbole and downright media incompetence. Do you remember hearing, U.S. to turn over port security to Arab nationdetails at eleven? It was at this point that I decided the best way to change the course of homeland security in America was to help inform and educate the American public on the subject. Frankly, I dont know if I will succeed. It is an ambitious goal, but one that is worth the risk. Perhaps I was inspired by my third-grade teacher, Mrs. Jordon, who taught me that Thomas Jefferson believed the best way to improve government was to have a better-informed public.

This book, along with my op-ed articles, seminars, workshops, and speeches, is now the central focus of my educational efforts. I want to take this discussion directly to the American people, because elected officials here in Washington are interested in public opinion. (Keep in mind my perspective on this interest. My favorite political commentator, P. J. ORourke, said: Politicians are always interested in people. Not that this is always a virtue. Fleas are interested in dogs.) Politicians are interested in your votes and, even more importantly, your campaign contributions, so you can influence how they think. My goal is to ensure that your influence leads them down a path that will create a more secure America at a cost (in terms of dollars, privacy, and convenience) that you are willing to pay. If we, the American public, do not improve our thinking on homeland security, and properly influence the decision makers we send to Washington and state capitals to represent us, then we will most certainly be our own worst enemy. We will do more damage to our nation and its economy than any terrorist organization ever could.

This book is written for people who care about the security of America, and who vote, regardless of party affiliation. In 2008, America will conduct one of the most important elections since 1952, or perhaps even 1932. A new president and new Congress will provide us the opportunity to make some important changes in our approach to homeland security. If the voting public and the press start asking the right questions of those who seek elected office, perhaps it will encourage those newly elected officials to do the same as they develop the policies and spending priorities that will determine the future security of your children and grandchildren.

The focus of this book will be quite broad. It is the first book on homeland security that will attempt to connect the dots from the Oval Office to the front office to your kitchen table. It is important that you understand the big picture, but this book will also provide very practical advice for you and your family. It may be the only book on homeland security most Americans will need to read, and one that all voting Americans should read. This book will tell you what you can do to better protect your family, your local community, and your financial future, and it will teach you to ask the right questions for your corporations, organizations, and nations security. You can make a difference.

We can secure our homes and homeland, and we can do it at an affordable cost, if we just ask the right questions.

Examples of Wrong Questions

How do we win the war on terror?

What can we do to ensure that al Qaeda does not smuggle a nuclear weapon into the United States through one of our ports?

What can we do to prevent a biological attack on a U.S. city?

Shouldnt we put the military in charge of logistics for disaster response?

Shouldnt we put missile defense systems on airliners?

How can we build a system to inspect every shipping container that enters the United States?

What will FEMAthe Federal Emergency Management Agencydo for my family during a crisis?

Why are American cities unprepared for mass evacuations?

Terrorists have never used bioweapons to attack a city. Why should we make biodefense a high priority?

How can we secure America if we cant prevent illegal immigrants from crossing our border?

How much more money must Congress provide to ensure sufficient manpower for crisis response?

How do we improve congressional oversight of intelligence operations in this highly partisan environment?

Wherefore, security being the true design and the end of government, it unanswerably follows, that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

Thomas Paine

Common Sense,February 14, 1776

Introduction

Wrong Questions Produce Wrong Answers

JUST NINE DAYS AFTER THE 9/11 ATTACKS, TWO MEN AND A WOMAN CROSSED Pennsylvania Avenue and approached the northwest entrance to the White House. All three carried briefcases. Security was incredibly tight, and it took them nearly fifteen minutes to clear the metal, explosives, and radiological detectors, and a physical search of their bags. These were not regular times at the White House, and these were not regular guests.

Everything appeared normal, but a uniformed Secret Service agent asked one of the men why he had a surgical mask in his briefcase. The man replied, Just for demonstration. You saw Mayor Rudy Giuliani wear one at Ground Zero, right? The three were permitted to enter. They walked down two corridors and up two flights of stairs. After waiting for several minutes in a small room, Vice President Dick Cheney and several of his senior staff members walked into the room. In the same briefcase that contained the surgical mask, not more than ten feet from where the vice president was seated, was a test tube filled with weaponized