Afghan officials: Al-Qaida link in assassination plot

[May 01, 2008]  KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The weekend plot to kill Afghan President Hamid Karzai was masterminded by militants with links to al-Qaida members who reside in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, an Afghan intelligence official said Thursday.

Saeed Ansari, a spokesman for the Afghan intelligence service, said that one of those killed during a raid on a militant hideout in Kabul on Wednesday was also linked to a deadly suicide attack on the city's luxurious Serena Hotel in January. Ansart identified him as Humayun.

After the Serena attack, in which eight people died, intelligence officials said Humayun had links to a network led by a militant leader Siraj Haqqani.

Haqqani's network is believed to have links with al-Qaida members who operate from Pakistan's tribal areas, where Afghan officials say Haqqani is also based. The U.S. military has a $200,000 bounty out on him.

Intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh has said those killed in the raid Wednesday and three other gunmen who tried to assassinate Karzai on Sunday, were in contact with militants inside Pakistan's tribal regions.

Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas called the allegation "baseless."

Although Saleh said there was no evidence that the attack had the go-ahead from the Pakistani government, his comments will likely irk Islamabad. They could put a damper on recently improved relations between the two countries -- relations often strained over allegations that Pakistan helps the Taliban and other militants.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attempt on Karzai's life during a military parade on Sunday. Karzai survived unharmed, but three people, including a lawmaker, were killed. Three assailants also died.

Afghan lawmakers on Tuesday passed a vote of no-confidence against the country's three top security officials -- including Saleh -- after they revealed they had been aware of the assassination plot against Karzai hatched last month but failed to stop it. The officials, however, retained their jobs.

Sunday's assault was at least the fourth attempt to assassinate Karzai since he came to power six years ago. That attack exposed how despite the presence of more than 40,000 U.S. and NATO-led troops and rapidly expanding Afghan security forces, Karzai is struggling to contain the insurgency.

[Associated Press; By FISNIK ABRASHI]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.