Pakistani court drops charges against a Pakistani-British dual national

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A Pakistani court dropped terrorism charges on Wednesday against a Pakistani-British dual national suspected of being a key figure in a plot to blow up airliners over the Atlantic Ocean, his lawyer said.

British police said in August they had foiled a plot to carry out suicide bombings on airliners traveling from London to the United States.

Days later, Pakistan announced it had arrested a "key person" in the plot, Rashid Rauf, who a Pakistani official said had been in contact with an al-Qaida operative in Afghanistan.

Rauf's lawyer, Hashmat Habib, said an anti-terrorism court in the city of Rawalpindi had found no evidence of terrorism against the suspect.

Rauf was still in detention and faced other charges including impersonation, forging documents and possessing explosives.

Hashmat Habib, Rauf's lawyer, said the explosive his client is accused of possessing is hydrogen peroxide, a disinfectant that can be used to make a bomb if combined with other chemicals.

British police said on Aug. 10 they had foiled a plot to use liquid explosives to bring down several airliners on their way from Britain to the United States. British police have charged 15 people and 13 are in custody.

Denmark clears itself of abuse claims

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark's government has cleared itself of any wrongdoing over an incident in 2002 when Danish soldiers handed over Afghans to U.S. forces near Kandahar.

A documentary, "The Secret War," aired by Danish public broadcaster DR this month triggered accusations by Denmark's opposition that the government had misinformed parliament and Danish troops had ignored the Geneva human-rights convention.

A Defense Ministry report published on Wednesday denied claims made in the documentary that the men were mistreated at the hands of U.S. forces in March 2002. The 31 Afghans were released two days after their capture because they were found not to be Taliban fighters.

Denmark has 390 troops in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force.

Israeli tourists warned of threat

JERUSALEM — Israel said tourists visiting India's Goa state during the Christmas holidays face a "concrete threat" of an al-Qaida attack and advised its citizens on Wednesday against traveling to the popular beach area.

Last month, Indian authorities decided to strengthen security in Goa after intelligence agencies warned of a "Bali-like" attack, referring to the 2002 bombings that killed 202 people, many of them foreigners on vacation.

Also

A cell of an international terrorist organization, Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, has been closed in Russia's Tyumen Region, the Federal Security Service said Wednesday. The service said an active member of the cell, who is a citizen of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, had turned himself in.

Seattle Times news services