Terrorists May Have New Focus on Striking U.S., Officials Say

Associated Press

The failed attack on New York's Times Square could be only the first by terrorist groups that seek to avoid detection by using simpler methods that are more independently planned, U.S. counterterrorism officials said.

WASHINGTON -- The failed bombing in New York's Times Square is a possible signal that militant leaders in Pakistan have shifted their focus to targets in the U.S. and other Western countries instead of sticking to their home base, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials.

The attack, they also warned, could be only the first by terrorist groups that seek to avoid detection by using simpler methods that are more independently planned. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

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