THE bone-chilling film "Dirty War" is running on both HBO and PBS. Every American should see it; New Yorkers may want to watch it twice. The movie depicts the planning and execution of a "dirty bomb" attack a conventional explosive device laced with radioactive material. The result: dozens killed, thousands at long-term risk of cancer and other radiation sicknesses and much of London rendered uninhabitable for decades.
"Dirty War" is tough to watch, but it illustrates exactly what our nation could be up against in the long-term war with al Qaeda.
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Congress knows that too-easily-obtained licenses are a major security problem yet has done little about this threat in the 41 months since the 9/11 attacks.
Doubters need only watch visitors flash licenses to pass through security at our nation's Capitol building to recognize the danger, the same licenses one can use to enter sensitive commercial buildings like the New York Stock Exchange or to rent small trucks, like the one used in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The fictional terrorists in "Dirty War" use forged ID cards to move freely around the United Kingdom. Here in America, real terrorists didn't need to go to that trouble. They simply traveled to states with lax licensing standards, and got the documents within minutes, despite having no proof of legal status in this country.