Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, said that historically, war and violent conflict "have taken some people who are on the margins of terrorism and pushed them into action." He added, "For Mr. Ashcroft to deny the significance of a pending war with Iraq just doesn't comport with the observable facts." The intelligence official also noted that it had been months since any suspected terrorism attempts in the United States, and that the relative quiet had left analysts uneasy. "Recent intelligence reports suggest that Al Qaeda leaders have emphasized planning for attacks on apartment buildings, hotels and other soft or lightly secured targets in the United States," Mr. Ashcroft said. NY Times