"In cooperation with the Council on Foreign Relations." Includes bibliographical references and index.

Living on borrowed time -- The next attack -- The phony war -- Security maturity -- What's in the box? -- Protect and respond -- Mobilizing the home front -- 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. Despite increased awareness, we still offer our enemies a vast menu of soft targets, and small improvements are often oversold as giant steps forward, building an unwarranted sense of confidence. In this call to action, Flynn offers a portrait of the 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. Flynn outlines a practical plan for achieving security in a way that is safe and smart, effective and manageable.--From publisher description.