Terror threat

Troops and their families are terror targets at home. More must be done to protect them

The heartless murders carried out by terrorists in Paris and now Mali have naturally sparked global security concerns, from questions about the safety of landmark buildings, air travel and major public events to the potential risks of just being in the wrong neighborhood cafe at the wrong time.

These episodes also has revived concerns about the threat of attacks against U.S. military installations, service members and their loved ones. Terrorists have had that community squarely in their crosshairs for years.

Nearly a decade ago, for instance, six radicalized Islamic men conspired in a plot to bluntly "kill as many soldiers as possible" at Fort Dix in New Jersey. Fortunately, that plot was foiled. But details of the investigation suggested just how targeted and vulnerable the nation's military facilities are.