ABU DHABI Ñ U.S. soldiers have been shot and wounded in an attack in Qatar on eve of a meeting by the World Trade Organization in Doha.

Four U.S. soldiers were injured in the attack on Wednesday. The attacker, identified as a Qatari national, was shot and killed.

The official Qatari news agency said a Qatari national opened fire at the Udeid air base south of Doha, one of the largest U.S. air bases outside of the United States. The base is sued by U.S. combat jets under a military cooperation agreement with Qatar.

The Qatari Interior Ministry said a security guard at the base returned fire and killed the attacker. The dead assailant was identified as Abdullah Mubarak Al Hajri. Diplomatic sources said Al Hajri was a member of Qatari's anti-aircraft force.

The United States has denied that any of its personnel was injured. "We are not aware of any American citizens who were injured in this incident," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

Officials said Al Hajri did not enter the air base and was not connected to the Qatari security forces. The Doha-based A-Jazeera satellite channel said Al Hajri drove toward the base and opened fire on the Americans inside the facility.

U.S. officials had quietly warned of the prospect that Islamic insurgents aligned with Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden had infiltrated several Gulf Cooperation Council states and their security apparatuses. Qatar's security forces, trained by France, are regarded as among the most professional in the Persian Gulf region.

But Qatari officials quickly played down the attack and described Al Hajri as mentally unbalanced. Qatari Attorney General Abdullah Al Mal said the attack was the result of an individual rather than a group. A U.S. official echoed that assessment.

The United States supported the choice of Qatar as the venue for this Friday's World Trade Organization meeting. But the delegation of the United States and other Western countries were greatly reduced.

In Washington, President George Bush said authorities have frozen the U.S. assets of 62 individuals and organizations deemed as terrorists. They are believed connected with two networks that support Bin Laden's Al Qaida group.

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