The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

Three veteran US senators have urged Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf to ensure the safety of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto after the deadly attack on her homecoming parade.

In an unusual letter to the key US anti-terror ally, Senators Joseph Biden, Joseph Lieberman and Patrick Leahy warned that the suicide bombings, which killed 139 people, reflected risks faced by all candidates in January's elections.

"We extend our condolences to you, to the victims' families, and to all of the people of Pakistan," the senators wrote in the letter Wednesday.

"We believe this devastating attack serves as a stark reminder of the need for effective security mechanisms for the protection of all candidates and their supporters (particularly, although not exclusively, Ms. Bhutto and members of her party)t" The senators called on Musharraf to provide the level of security to Bhutto offered to any former Pakistani prime minister.