Homeland Defense: Are We a Sitting Target?

As part of his response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, President Bush named Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge to head the newly-created Office of Homeland Security. Ridge's task will be great: to figure out how to prevent another terrorist attack.

The dialogue surrounding homeland security has raised concerns about civil rights. But Ashton Carter, a civil defense expert from Harvard, says there are several concrete steps the government can take to protect people without impeding on civil liberties.

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Saudi Arabia: Caught in the Middle

Saudi Arabia has always been considered one of America's most valuable allies in the Middle East. At the same time, as many as 12 of the 19 suspected hijackers are believed to have been citizens of the oil-rich kingdom. Osama bin Laden himself is a native Saudi and much of the money that finances his terrorist activities is believed to originate there.

The United States has housed troops in Saudi Arabia for nearly a dozen years. But while the royal family has welcomed an American presence, there is a large faction of fundamentalists who want the Americans out. Columbia University's Gary Sick says the U.S. absolutely needs the Saudis, not only for their oil, but because they provide an entree' into the Arabic world.

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