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Pakistan bombing kills 24

LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- A suicide bomber set off an explosion Thursday outside a courthouse in Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city, killing 24 people, including 21 policemen.

Thursday marked the start of the Islamic new year and the eve of the holy month of Muharram for Shiites.

Authorities said the attack was targeted at police officers. It is the latest in a series of deadly bombings and attacks that have plagued the country. On Dec. 27, a similar attack killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

No group claimed responsibility for the Lahore attack. Police had been stationed near the courthouse ahead of a scheduled an anti-government rally by lawyers.

The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported those killed included three civilians, two police officers, one head constable and 18 constables. It said the attack also injured 64 others who were taken to nearby hospitals.

Police official Aftab Ahmad Cheema said authorities had intelligence reports about suicide bombers having entered the Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital, and that all possible precautions had been taken, the news agency reported.

The BBC reported the attack occurred just before noon when the court is at its busiest.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro condemned the attack and vowed to continue the fight against terrorism and extremism.

A CNN report said that just in the past three months there have been 20 suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan, which killed 400 people and wounded about 1,000 more. Analysts blame the attacks on pro-Taliban militants with ties to al-Qaida.

Musharraf assures free, fair polls

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has assured a European election observer team the Feb. 18 parliamentary elections would be free and fair, it was reported.

The president, speaking to the EU visitors, also rejected allegations of any "prepoll rigging" or "ghost polling stations," the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan reported Thursday.

Musharraf also said there would be no further postponements of the elections. The polls were originally set for Jan. 8 but were delayed in the rioting that followed the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.

Separately, Dawn reported visiting U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warning of serious consequences if the polls are not seen as being fair and free.

"While there will be further division in Pakistan, there will be certain action against Pakistan by Congress if polls are not held in a transparent and fair manner," the Connecticut lawmaker was quoted as telling reporters in Islamabad. "In fact there will be serious consequences for both countries if elections are rigged as is being alleged by some political parties."

The Voice of America reported Lieberman's visit comes at a time of growing speculation the government may again put off the elections.

Bomb scare moves Giuliani speech

MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The FBI advised Florida police of an alleged bomb threat prompting Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani to change a campaign stop.

Giuliani had planned to deliver a tax speech Wednesday at the Harris Corp. in Melbourne, but a bomb threat an hour before his appearance prompted an evacuation of the building, The New York Times said Thursday.

The Melbourne Police Department conducted a sweep of the company's headquarters building and found nothing unusual, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported.

The scare forced Giuliani to move his speech to a secure airplane hanger amid heightened security and bomb-sniffing dogs.

Iraq reports arrests of al-Qaida Saudis

BAGHDAD, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Iraqi security forces have arrested hundreds of al-Qaida suspects from Saudi Arabia, an Iraqi national security adviser told an Arabic newspaper.

Mowaffaq al-Rubaie said in an interview with the Saudi Ukaz newspaper most of the Saudis said during interrogation they had entered Iraq from Syria.

He said many of them were on wanted lists in Saudi Arabia, and said he would turn over all of the intelligence on them in an upcoming visit to Riyadh, Iraq's Alsumaria news agency reported.

Rubaie also predicted "final victory" against al-Qaida in coming months, saying there had been "major achievements" made, which are ongoing.

The interview was published Thursday as the U.S. military announced it had staged a major air raid on al-Qaida safe houses south of Baghdad, destroying 40 buildings in 10 minutes, CNN said.

Iranians release video of U.S. encounter

TEHRAN, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Iran released video and audio recordings depicting a much more sedate encounter between Iranian gunboats and U.S. Navy vessels than U.S. officials claim.

The recordings released Thursday provide an Iranian account of the confrontation Sunday between Iranian gunboats and three Navy vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, the Alalam satellite television network reported Thursday.

The 4-minute recording features audio between an Iranian commander and a U.S. sailor.

"Coalition warship number 73 this is an Iranian patrol," the Iranian commander said.

"This is coalition warship number 73. I am operating in international waters," the Americans responded.

The Iranian tape counters a similar U.S. video showing Iranian boats engaging the U.S. ships in what the United States says was "a provocative act." The audiotape of the incident released by U.S. officials included a threat against the U.S. ships.

Lieberman assured of nuke safeguards

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman said he had been assured by Pakistani officials that the country's nuclear weapons were safe from falling into extremists' hands.

Lieberman, I-Conn., said Wednesday during a stop in Islamabad that he was told sufficient safeguards had been put in place to protect the weapons, Dawn newspaper reported.

Among the senior officials Lieberman met were Pakistan's army chief and Lt. Gen. Khalid Kidwai, chairman of the Strategic Planning Division, the report said.

Lieberman called his meeting with Kidwai very "important and successful," adding it was encouraging to learn Pakistan's nuclear weapons are in safe hands, the report said.

"There is a multilayer security about Pakistan's nuclear arsenals and I will take a good message about it for the U.S. Senate," Lieberman said.

He also said in the Dawn report that Pakistan's military leaders were clear about fighting terrorists and extremists by containing activities of al-Qaida and the Taliban in the tribal areas.