Consider these two scenarios: (1) Warned of an impending terrorist attack, Americans endure disruptive security measures—or simply stay home and hide. By day’s end, it doesn’t matter: A plane carrying a “dirty” bomb has crashed in Los Angeles, killing tens of thousands of people; (2) After an alert, Americans face strict yet sensible and efficient security, before a suspect is arrested and an attack averted. The first scenario is inevitable unless we take immediate steps to ensure the second. Written by one of America’s foremost security experts, a specialist who has worked closely with the FBI and other agencies,Forewarnedis a brave and indispensable new approach to local, national, and worldwide law enforcement, a specific blueprint for altering America in order to save it, and a road map to protecting ourselves and those we love. Starting from the shocking contention that everything done to fight terrorism at home since 9/11 has been politicized, expedient, and inept, Michael Cherkasky presents a step-by-step plan for improving our chances of survival while understanding where we’ve gone wrong. Here are frank discussions on a variety of issues: • Well-meaning but ineffectual, the “Homeland Security Department” should be overhauled—its color-coded “threat alerts” are simply ignored or ridiculed • Ground airport security (from National Guard deployment to banning of sharp instruments) should be abandoned as useless • Fighting terrorism should be shifted from the “rigid and hierarchical” FBI to a new Domestic Intelligence Bureau (DIB) with expanded powers • All cargo containers should be bar-coded, uplinked to a satellite, and downlinked to a database, to prevent the shipping of biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons (only 2 percent of containers are inspected now) • All airplane luggage should be screened for explosives and electronically matched to a passenger (not done now) • Every citizen over six should be given a new “US/ID card” to start a lifelong database of associations and actions that could speed (most) people through airports, landmarks, or government buildings without incident Presenting a provocative new program that is practical, thoughtfully conceived, and easily adopted,Forewarnedis an unprecedented book for a swiftly changing landscape, one that must be read by all citizens—and by all officials sworn to protect them.