Washington, D.C.
Terrorists may try to strike the U.S. in the coming months to influence the November presidential election, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said this week. Rice said terrorists might have learned “the wrong lesson from Spain.” Voters there ousted the government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a key U.S. ally in Iraq, after the March 11 Madrid train bombings killed 191 people. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced he was forming a task force to head off attacks timed to disrupt a number of events, including July 4 celebrations and the summer political conventions. “We soon enter a season,” Ridge said, “that is rich in symbolic opportunities for the terrorists to try to shake our will.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.