Iraqi authorities say a suicide car bomber struck near the office of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's political party in central Baghdad Monday, wounding at least 10 people.
Officials say at least seven of the wounded were policemen who were guarding a checkpoint near the building.
A threatening message broadcast on the Internet Sunday in the name of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of a terrorist group linked to the al-Qaida network, vowed to disrupt Iraq's upcoming election, as part of a "fierce war" on democracy.
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, acknowledges there are serious security problems ahead of the January 30 vote. However, he says most Iraqis should still be able to vote.
Mr. Negroponte told U.S. television reporters that U.S. and Iraqi forces will take "elaborate measures" to protect polling stations, but that the safety of all polling sites cannot be guaranteed.
U.S. military commanders have said voting is not likely to be safe in four of Iraq's 18 provinces, home to one-fourth of the country's people.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.
