`Soft Targets' Now the Focus of al-Qaida
Al-Qaida’s hit list appears to be changing. American ships, embassies and financial hubs were the successful targets of Osama bin Laden’s organization until U.S. security was radically overhauled in the wake of Sept. 11. Now the group, and those with possible al-Qaida links, are choosing “softer,” more international targets such as a Spanish restaurant in Morocco, a Kenyan resort frequented by Israelis and a Saudi housing complex home to both Americans and Europeans. No longer are American targets the first or only choices. Experts say the apparent broader range of targets are easier to strike and often serve double duty, fitting aims of both al-Qaida’s global approach and the local militants it works through — from Africa to Asia to America. More alarmingly, such attacks are proving difficult to gain intelligence on and avert. Full Story