The charging of 11 British citizens for plotting to blow up airliners over the Atlantic should be warning enough that the conflict in the Middle East is coming our way again. And we cannot count on uncovering the next try. There is a bottomless pool of young European Muslims filled with rage. We must adapt faster than they do.
At a minimum, we should:
1. Demand that every foreigner apply for a visa before he boards a U.S.-bound plane, giving the State Department, CIA and FBI a chance to trace him.
2. Give the FBI computers that interface seamlessly with Homeland Security Department and CIA computers, airline reservation systems and the police.
3. Document everyone in this country, whether guest workers or Americans. That means a new, serious national identity card.
Before you start screaming fascism, remember: Israel is still a democracy with a free press. Unless we ensure that people cannot fall off the grid so easily in America, there will be another attack - and after it, we will risk popular outrage that will endanger all of our rights.
Source: New York Daily News - Ideas & Opinions - Robert Baer: To stop terror, track everyone in U.S.
Also read: Electronic Harassment FAQ