Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has asked chief ally in Iraq Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to consider targeting the United States with terrorist attacks, a US official claimed yesterday.
"There has been communication between bin Laden and Zarqawi with bin Laden suggesting to Zarqawi the US homeland as a target," said the official.
US Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse
The official said last night the communication was "a fairly recent development" and contained no specific threat to the United States. The official declined to provide details.
The US Department of Homeland Security has warned state officials around the country that the government had received non-specific information about al-Qaeda's plans to attack the United States.
"This non-specific information reiterates al-Qaeda's desire to potentially target the homeland," a spokesman said.
He said the information was still being analysed by the intelligence community but it was not enough to cause any increase in the terrorism alert level.
Zarqawi, a Jordanian militant, is a leading figure among Islamic insurgents who are waging a campaign against US-led forces in Iraq.