Terrorism: Are you prepared for the worst?

From a Q & A with Richard Clarke, counterterrorism expert, author of the book Against All Enemies and new columnist for The New York Times Magazine:

Q. 4. How should the average urban and non-urban U.S. family prepare for another major terrorist attack?
— George Karayannis, Carlsbad, Calif.

A. The best way to think about it may be to consider a range of surprises that could happen, not just terrorism. Last month, for example, a chlorine gas rail car jumped a track in rural South Carolina, emitting lethal fumes, killing nine and causing the evacuation of over 5,000.

Consider these five steps:

1. check the news on TV or radio a couple of times a day or have someone who will do that and call you if there is a problem;

2. know how to get in contact with your family members quickly if you have to;

3. keep a week or so of food supplies and a first aid kit in the house;

4. have an emergency supply of cash hidden somewhere;

5. talk about where you would all meet up if something happened to your house.

Terrorism is unlikely to involve you directly, but a hurricane, tornado, train wreck or plane crash could.

President Bush's democracy-promotion policy will be appropriate and laudable at the right time in the right nations, but it is not the cure for terrorism and may divert us from efforts needed to rout Al Qaeda and reduce our vulnerabilities at home. The president is right that resentment is growing and that it is breeding terrorism, but it is chiefly resentment of us, not of the absence of democracy.

The 9/11 Commission had a proposal similar to the president's, but more on point: a battle of ideas to persuade more Muslims that jihadist terrorism is a perversion of Islam.