The series of car-bomb attacks that devastated Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier this week is a horrific reminder that victories in Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to have only a limited impact on the war against terrorism. More troubling is the likelihood of attacks intensifying in the weeks ahead. Although no one has taken credit for the savagery, al-Qaeda is the prime suspect. While Westerners appear to have been the primary target, the blasts were also aimed at the Saudi government. Indeed, the Saudi royal family is the real target. The devastation is proof, once again, that no one can opt out of the war against terrorism. This is not "someone else's" fight.

This week's attacks -- car bombings in a foreigners' compound -- had the hallmarks of an al-Qaeda operation. The organization and precision indicate that the attacks were well-planned as it employed nearly two dozen men in 10 vehicles. Three coordinated strikes took place only minutes apart and were almost identical in style. In each, a car approached an entrance to the residential area. Gunmen in the car then shot their way into the guardhouse, and lowered protective barriers. A second vehicle entered the compound, detonating the explosives it was carrying. The attacks killed several dozen people and wounded nearly 200. The damage was extensive: One bomb left a crater nearly seven meters in diameter. Cars and small homes were destroyed by the blasts, which spewed debris nearly 100 meters.

The assault is a message from al-Qaeda that it has not been defeated. Various governments have confessed that they had warnings of an attack in recent weeks, and were taking the information seriously. That the terrorists succeeded is a reminder that the odds are stacked in favor of the killers: Governments win only by preventing all attacks; terrorists win by penetrating defenses just once.