How to reinvigorate the war on terrorism here at home

The arrest of Bryant Neal Vinas, the Al Qaeda recruit from Long Island who has confessed to helping plot a commuter train attack, has thrust domestic terrorism back into the headlines after a fairly long hiatus.
It never should have gone away. Some believe the terror threat has subsided because America has yet to suffer a spectacular attack since 9/11. That kind of complacency will only breed weakness and danger.
Rather, with Pakistan in crisis, Iran's brutality ever more evident and Somalia slipping into violent radicalism, now is the time to roll out aggressive new strategies that meet the ever-changing threat, including new technologies that identify potentially threatening conduct and detect radiation and biological pathogens - technologies lawmakers seem reluctant to support.
Though we have gone a long way to reduce our vulnerabilities in recent years, some threats have multiplied. Al Qaeda has established safe havens in the frontier areas of Pakistan and parts of Somalia, and, as the Vinas case reminds us, is looking to recruit Westerners to serve as operatives.
Meanwhile, the most sophisticated terrorist organization in the world is Hezbollah, with decades of experience as a client organization of the government of Iran. In recent years, Hezbollah has not struck directly against the United States, but few doubt that it could do so if unleashed by Iran, perhaps in retaliation for actions by the United States or Israel. Especially troubling is Hezbollah's presence in Latin America. Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has recently welcomed Iran as a partner, opening a hemispheric platform for terrorist infiltration.Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/07/29/2009-07-29_how_to_reinvigorate_the_war_on_terrorism_here_at_home.html#ixzz39ncHi6Nx