***** Jihad and American Medicine: Thinking like a Terrorist to Anticipate Attacks via Our Health System. By Adam Frederic Dorin, M.D.; published by Praeger Security International, www.praeg-er.com [1] (Web); 187 pages; $49.95.

In Jihad and American Medicine, Dr. Adam Frederic Dorin warns that the very hospitals we trust with our well-being may themselves harbor terrorists, specifically foreign, radicalized Muslim physicians who would wage jihad from within the U.S. healthcare system.

The claim is lent some credence by last June’s failed London and Glasgow Airport bombing attempts. The two men charged in the plots were both physicians who immigrated to the United Kingdom and practiced legally in England prior to the attacks.

The issues Dorin raises are well known to security professionals working in the healthcare field. After reading the book, I personally contacted the security directors of several large New York City hospitals. Presented Dr. Dorin’s doomsday scenarios, each said his or her institution has assessed and addressed the emerging risks he describes.

Dorin is an anesthesiologist, not a security practitioner, and that is clear from the nature and scope of the security measures he recommends. In addition to physical security and access control measures, Dorin recommends that hospital security staff be trained to record every movement made by the growing number of foreign, Arabic-speaking doctors walking through the country’s hospital corridors.

This book would not be of great value to senior security practitioners, but it might be of some value in terms of raising awareness among the public and security generalists, since the weaknesses Dorin outlines can be found in most public facilities, including commercial buildings, arenas, and airports and other transportation hubs.

Reviewer: Charles Schnabolk, PSP, PE (Professional Engineer), is an engineer, consultant, counterterrorism expert, author, and educator. He is a member of ASIS International.

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