This story from the AP reports that Western Airliners May Be al-Qaida Target. But why o why does it persist in calling the al Qaida terrorists "militants," for example in this paragraph, "Militants have stepped up attacks on foreigners in Saudi Arabia in past weeks, most recently in a shooting Sunday that killed an Irish cameraman and wounded a British Broadcasting Corp. reporter." The article is willing to call al Qaida "the terror network," so wouldn't it make sense that those who belong to the "terror network" would be terrorists? And isn't the essence of terrorism to attack and kill civilians, as occurred in this latest attack? There's such a thing as being *too careful* in one's speech.