Afghans question 'bomb plotter'

President Karzai now has US bodyguards

The Afghan authorities are questioning a man in connection with what they say was a foiled plot to blow up government ministers.

The would-be assassin was intercepted in Kabul on Monday when his car, loaded with explosives, was involved in a road accident, officials say.

What we have gathered indicates that he is a suicide bomber

Amrallah Salih, security chief

Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah confirmed on Tuesday that the suspect is a foreigner, and an investigation into the incident is continuing.

Senior security officials believe the man could be a member of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, and planned to assassinate President Hamid Karzai or other Afghan leaders.

Earlier reports suggested a second man had also been detained, and that a third had escaped from the scene of the accident.

But both Mr Abdullah and Amrallah Salih, a senior intelligence official, would only confirm that one man was being held.

"He could be Arab or Chechen," Mr Salih told Reuters.

"He mentioned Karzai as one of his natural targets. What we have gathered indicates that he is a suicide bomber."

Rumsfeld 'not surprised'

We can expect that there will continue to be firefights and people shooting and things happening. It is an untidy place

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

Afghan television showed pictures on Monday of police removing blocks of yellow explosives from the Toyota Corolla involved in the crash.

They said some weapons had been seized as well.

The report also showed a photograph of the suspect - a bearded young man in a vest and open shirt.

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the incident did not surprise him.

He said that the Taleban, al-Qaeda and some Afghan factions had motives to attack the Afghan Government.

"We can expect that there will continue to be firefights and people shooting and things happening. It is an untidy place," Mr Rumsfeld said.

Bodyguards

US-led coalition forces are still trying to flush out the remnants of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

The killing of the vice president raised security fears

President Karzai caused controversy last week by asking to be protected by American bodyguards.

Mr Karzai had previously been guarded solely by Afghans, most of them mujahideen fighters.

But after the assassination of Afghan Vice President Haji Abdul Qadir earlier this month, fears for the safety of Mr Karzai have grown.

A presidential spokesman said Mr Karzai still trusted his Afghan guards but felt highly-trained Americans would add to his security.

Mr Qadir was shot dead in his car in Kabul on 6 July, along with his son-in-law.

The aviation and tourism minister, Abdul Rahman, was beaten to death in February at Kabul airport. Neither murder has been solved.