Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism Without Terrorizing Ourselves

***** Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism Without Terrorizing Ourselves. By Michael A. Sheehan; published by The Crown Publishing Group, www.randomhouse.com/crown (Web); 320 pages; $24.95.

The fight against terrorism has spawned its own industry under the moniker of “homeland security,” especially in the United States. For that we can thank members of government and academia, whose efforts have created intrusions into our daily lives and curtailment of our civil rights. Each day brings a new “expert” with a new book advocating ever-more stringent measures, with arguments often based on specious thinking.

While definitely an expert, one might expect that Michael Sheehan, a former Green Beret and “terrorism czar” at the State Department, would draw on his considerable experiences to write yet another book advocating draconian domestic policies and extensive efforts to determine the location and capture of Osama bin Laden. Instead, Sheehan offers recommendations that counter the conventions of the past eight years.

Sheehan astutely differentiates between different fundamentalist Islamic organizations, arguing against a focus on al Qaeda to the exclusion of groups like Hezbollah. Recognizing the differences between such groups and the threats they pose, he argues, is key to developing appropriate approaches.

Sheehan argues effectively that the U.S. government has wasted billions of dollars on homeland security while failing to mitigate the terrorist risk. What it has succeeded in, he writes, is undermining civil liberties.

The author argues for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and demonstrates that capabilities the government had before that agency was established were more effective in countering the terrorist threat. He also offers plans for improving intelligence collection and information sharing.

Sheehan concludes his analysis by noting that we live in an open society where countless targets cannot be fully protected and defensive strategies have limited value. He stresses the importance of a measured response to the terrorist threat, including well-conceived offensive measures. The knee-jerk reactions that have characterized much of our effort to date are self-defeating, he argues.

Crush the Cell: How to Defeat Terrorism Without Terrorizing Ourselves is an important book that bucks the trend of U.S. terrorism policies to date. It should be read by everyone serious about alleviating a national preoccupation with a relatively minor threat, one that has distracted us from many other serious problems.

Reviewer: Mayer Nudell, CSC (Certified Security Consultant), is an independent consultant on crisis management, contingency planning, and related issues. He is an adjunct professor at Webster University and a member of ASIS.