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Rockets found aimed at Karachi airport

SUMMARY

Four rockets aimed in the direction of Karachi's airport were found Monday in a nearby neighborhood, Pakistani police said.

The airport is a center of operations for the international security force in Afghanistan.

The 107 mm rockets were placed on a wooden frame facing the general direction of the airport in an open field and were connected to an improvised timing device, according to a statement released by police.

A citizen's tip led to the discovery, police said.

The Associated Press reported two of the rockets were aimed at a terminal used by troops of the U.S.-led coalition. The other two were aimed at an airport hotel used by troops at the airport.

The agency also quoted Pakistani officials who blamed the attempted rocket attack on Islamic extremists.

A bomb disposal squad defused the rockets.

The rockets were found two days after an incident in the same area, known as the Shah Faisal colony, in which a rocket was fired but did not cause any damage or injuries, police said.

Authorities were investigating the incident and questioning people in the neighborhood.

UPDATE:

Summary Update Key questions Who's who  CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

Remains recovered from a CIA missile strike in Afghanistan are now at the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington where they will undergo testing to determine identities, military officials said Monday. U.S. officials said the CIA unmanned Predator fired upon a meeting of senior al Qaeda officials; local residents said three local men searching for scrap metal were killed.

A Jordanian-born California college student told a federal judge during a pretrial hearing Monday in New York he felt threatened by FBI agents who investigated him for his suspected connections to one of the men who hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 and crashed it into the Pentagon. Osama Awadallah, 21, faces two counts of lying to a grand jury. (Full story)

In Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, President Bush on Monday defended his reference to Iraq, Iran and North Korea as part of an "axis of evil" that supports terrorists. Koizumi said Bush has been "very calm and cautious" in his stance against the three countries. (Full story)

As Vice President Dick Cheney rallied troops Monday at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, he defended the president's "axis of evil" remark as refreshing evidence the commander in chief means what he says. Cheney also honored nine Marines from the station who died in two crashes last month in Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying America is "forever proud" of them for serving the nation in its "hour of need."

Jacques Baker was arrested Monday for attempting to carry a possible explosive device on a flight at Los Angeles International Airport, the FBI said. The 32-year-old Guam resident, who claimed to be an active member of the National Guard, was carrying a "seal bomb," similar to an M-80, a fat, extra-loud firecracker, an FBI spokesman said. Authorities had not yet decided whether to charge him. (Full story)

Authorities said a "total misunderstanding" caused an American Eagle flight from New York to Cleveland to be turned back to LaGuardia airport. A passenger on the flight misunderstood instructions when security personnel asked him to stand aside so his bag could be hand-checked, said Port Authority of New York spokesman Pasquale Difulco. (Full story)

Iran said Monday that 150 people recently detained at its border with Pakistan are not members of al Qaeda, contrary to earlier intelligence. (Full story)

KEY QUESTIONS:

What effect is Bush's "axis of evil" rhetoric having on the coalition in the U.S.-led war against terrorism?

WHO'S WHO:

George W. Bush: U.S. president

Junichiro Koizumi: Japanese prime minister

Dick Cheney: U.S. vice president