America the vulnerable : how our government is failing to protect us from terrorism / Stephen Flynn.

Includes bibligraphical references (pages [171]-220) and index.

1. Living on borrowed time -- 2. The next attack -- 3. The phony war -- 4. Security maturity -- 5. What's in the box? -- 6. Protect and respond -- 7. Mobilizing the home front -- 8. Fear, paranoia, and the gathering storm.

"Three years after September 11, we are still dangerously unprepared to prevent or respond to another attack on American soil. Faced with this threat, the United States should be operating on a wartime footing at home. But despite the many new security precautions that have been proposed, our most serious vulnerabilities remain ominously exposed." "In this call to action, Stephen Flynn offers a portrait of the radical shortcomings in America's current plan for homeland security. He describes a frightening scenario of what the next major terrorist attack might look like, revealing the tragic loss of life and economic havoc it would leave in its wake, as well as the seismic political consequences it would have in Washington." "Despite increased awareness, we still offer our enemies a vast menu of soft targets: water and food supplies; chemical plants; energy grids and pipelines; bridges, tunnels, and ports; and the millions of cargo containers that carry most of the goods we depend upon in our everyday lives. The measures we have cobbled together to protect these vital systems are hardly fit to deter amateur thieves, vandals, and smugglers, let alone determined terrorists. Worse still, small improvements are often oversold as giant steps forward, lowering the guard of the average citizen and building an unwarranted sense of confidence." "It does not have to be this way. Flynn outlines a plan for achieving security in a way that is safe and smart, effective and manageable."--BOOK JACKET.