Terrorism expert Harvey Kushner answers questions about his new book Holy War on the Home Front, at National Review: The War’s Far from Won.

NRO: Folks like John Kerry claim we are no safer today post-Iraq war. Is that true?

Kushner: If the question refers to our involvement in Iraq, then the answer is “no” inasmuch as we have removed a despot who sponsored terrorism. The Bush administration should have made Iraq’s well-known support of Middle Eastern terrorists of all stripes a major issue before the liberation of the Iraqi people. Focusing specifically on weapons of mass destruction was clearly a mistake because they haven’t turned up. Rather, a free Iraq begins the process of removing all sponsors of terrorism aimed at the United States and her allies and changes the very fabric of the greater Middle East. This should have been presented to the American public right from the get-go.

If we go back, however, to 9/11 then I would agree that we are no safer today. And that’s why I wrote Holy War. Why? Because for all the money we’ve spent in the past three years on “security,” Americans are no safer. Government agencies are still sloppy, negligent, or worse. For years, liberal federal judges have been probating illegal aliens who are “known or suspected terrorists” back onto our streets. Khat, a drug worth billions of dollars a year, is being smuggled into this country by a Middle Eastern-African-British network, but no one is investigating it — or its links to terrorism. The USCIS Asylum Offices get applications from Middle Easterners who testify to involvement with terrorism, but can’t reject them because the FBI won’t return their phone calls. Don’t believe it? Sorry, my book has the documents to back up these strong assertions.

NRO: How can INS, such that it is, be fixed?

Kushner: The answer to this question is rather simple, it can’t. No matter how many resources we devote to what is now INS, they won’t be enough unless we fix our will to deal with illegal aliens inside our country. In other words, there has to be a concerted effort from the Bush administration right down to the public itself to get beyond the paralyzing effects of political correctness and crack down on illegal aliens. I’m not only referring to those that committed felons but to those who cross our borders without permission.