A suicide car bombing killed 10 people and injured at least 70 more in an attack on a Saudi security forces building in the city of Riyadh. The Saudi security force claims the attack to be the sixth attempted attack in the past week; the previous five attempts were foiled. The attacks are said to be the work of al Qaeda, and stem from growing confrontation between the group and the Saudi government.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that he will put the issue of the European Union's constitution to a referendum. The proposed constitution, which requires the approval of all 25 EU member countries in order to pass, would strengthen the EU and make it more "transparen[t] and efficien[t]." Blair's moves came as a surprise to many political observers, who believed that he would simply let Parliament vote on the constitution. Critics of the move believe Blair will simply reintroduce the issue if it should fail, and that opening it to a public vote is an insignificant gesture.
Less than a month after an Israeli airstrike killed Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a second strike killed another Hamas leader, Abdelaziz Rantissi. Two Israeli missiles struck Rantissi's car, killing him, his son, and one of his guards. Rantissi was targeted once for assassination last June, and suffered injuries to his arms, chest and legs when his car was hit in a missile attack. Hamas has promised "swift and strong" retaliation for the attack, which has been condemned by dozens of countries.
Spain's Prime Minister, Jose Zapatero, has promised to recall 1,400 Spanish troops currently stationed in Iraq. Zapatero's move echoes the popular sentiment of Spaniards, who have been opposed to the use of Spanish forces there. The troops are estimated to be returning in a matter of weeks. Following Spain's example, Honduras and the Dominican Republic have announced they will be recalling their troops, totaling around 700 soldiers.
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has offered European countries a truce in his latest audiotape. The truce would keep European nations 'safe' from al Qaeda, and in return, the countries must remove their troops from all Islamic nations. The offer was swiftly rejected, with comments ranging from British Prime Minister Tony Blair's "I don't think we need Osama bin Laden to start telling us how to handle our political affairs" to Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini's "It is completely unthinkable that we could start negotiations with bin Laden." The tape, which is believed to be authentic, also promises retaliation against the United States for the Israeli killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.