Gilmore urges rational response to terror.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe
• Position: Homeland Defense Briefs - James Gilmore - Brief Article

The danger of terrorism is real but requires a rational response, said James Gilmore, former Virginia governor and chairman of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction.

"Threat means the capabilities and intentions of the enemy," Gilmore said at a recent homeland security conference. "Vulnerability is not [the same as] threat."

He also warned against allowing terrorists to unduly influence the nation's civil liberties and "turn our society around based on fear." Gilmore cited "sneak-and-peak" warrants and attempts to bolster the law, such as a...