To the Point

Al Qaeda Now

The FBI and its allies in the War on Terror say that, since September 11, thousands of al Qaeda leaders have been killed, imprisoned or run into the ground. Yet those same experts also blame al Qaeda for terrorist acts all over the world-in Russia, South East Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. That raises the question of just what al Qaeda really is. Is it an organization of identifiable individuals, or something else? To adjust to the campaign against it, has it changed its strategies and even its very nature? We examine the nature of al Qaeda today and the "franchising" of terrorism with journalists in Europe and the Middle East, an Iraqi-born security consultant with expertise in radical Islamic groups, and a human rights advocate in Egypt. Making News: Free Trade Zone of the Americas Reaches a Partial Accord The tough issues facing the Free Trade Area of the Americas still have not been resolved, but after days of discussions, negotiators in Miami wanted to avoid another disaster like the one in Cancun in September. So, last night in Miami, they declared a victory and went home. Jane Bussey, trade reporter for the Miami Herald, says the watered-down trade accord could be described as "FTAA-Lite." Reporter's Notebook: Remembering John F. Kennedy Forty years ago tomorrow, John F. Kennedy was shot to death in the back of an open limousine in Dallas, Texas. Though the flame on his grave at Arlington Cemetery has never gone out, the controversies over his death and his presidency have not been resolved. Richard Reeves, author of President Kennedy: Profile of Power remembers the life and legacy of JFK.