[thelist] XHTML 1.0 Strict -no target attribute allowed?

[Julia]

Hi  everyone:
This is my first post to the list, so I am sorry if the question seems a 
bit simplistic.
My pages validate as XHTML 1.0 Transitional, but I was hoping to enable 
them to validate as Strict, and eventually XHTML 1.1.
I have run them through the Validator, and the main stumbling block appears 
to be the use of the target attribute for anchors (specifically 
target="_"blank") for links to external sites which I wish to have open in 
a new window. I have been crawling around W3c.org for ages, but cant find 
anything on the syntax that I should use instead.
Can anyone help me please?
thanks in advance
Julia