Washington on alert as al-Qaida document threatens limo bombs

A NEW security threat has emerged as Washington gears up for an extravaganza to swear in President George Bush for a second term - limousines containing bombs.

US intelligence sources admit the fears were partially prompted by a 39-page document seized from al-Qaida. The paper details a mechanism for using limousines to deliver bombs equipped with cylinders of a flammable gas, according to Time magazine.

Bombs can be concealed in limos because the vehicles “blend in” and “do not require special driving skills”, it says.