Many municipalities are woefully unprepared for the terror threats they'll face as the country goes to war with Iraq, former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart told more than 200 people last night packed into the auditorium of the Darien Community Association.

"We're not ready, and we're about to kick open a hornet's nest in the most dangerous part of the world," said Hart, speaking on the topic of homeland security as President Bush's deadline for war passed.

The federal government has not allocated enough resources to state and local governments to fight terror, said Hart, 66, who has recently expressed interest in a 2004 presidential run.

As war loomed, Hart said the president has failed to show clear and convincing evidence of a link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.

"How did we get from 9/11 to the Taliban to Saddam Hussein?" he asked.

But with troops already committed to fighting a war in Iraq, Hart said Americans should stand behind the country and its troops.

"The debate is over. It will continue when the war is over," he said. "When American lives are at stake it's not the time to debate war."