Al-Qaida May Try Attack on U.S. in Iraq

Al-Qaida or its allies may try to mount a “spectacular” attack on U.S. forces in Iraq until they are ready to attempt another big attack on American soil, a think tank warned Wednesday. Washington was apparently “overconfident” in saying it had al-Qaida on the run with its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the war in Iraq probably boosted support for Al-Qaida among Muslims, the International Institute of Strategic Studies said in releasing its annual “Military Balance,” an authoritative guide to military forces and conflicts around the world. It said the war hurt al-Qaida by denying it a potential source of weapons of mass destruction and discouraging states such as Syria and Iran from supporting it. But the war had also boosted sympathy and support for the group in the Muslim world, it added. Full Story