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Bin laden asked zarqawi to attack on american soil { March 1 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/01/politics/01threats.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/01/politics/01threats.html
March 1, 2005
Bin Laden Aide Urged to Attack Outside Iraq, U.S. Reports
By ERIC LIPTON
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 - Osama bin Laden recently asked the Jordanian militant Musab al-Zarqawi to consider planning attacks outside Iraq and possibly on American soil, a United States intelligence official said Monday.
The communication led to a warning issued over the weekend to homeland security officials around the United States.
The reported message did not cite a location or date, officials said. As a result, there was no immediate move to raise the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded threat level, which is currently at yellow, meaning elevated, the officials said.
"We provided a classified bulletin to state homeland security advisers based on nonspecific credible threat reporting the intelligence community has received," said Brian Roehrkasse, a department spokesman. "Although this information is not specific, we do take it seriously."
Mr. Zarqawi is the suspected mastermind behind kidnappings, beheadings and bombings that followed the United States invasion of Iraq. Until late last year, terrorism experts had questioned just how closely Mr. Zarqawi was aligned with Mr. bin Laden and Al Qaeda, despite their mutual animosity toward the United States. But a statement in October attributed to Mr. Zarqawi urged the unification of their two efforts.
"We will listen to your orders," that statement said, referring to Mr. bin Laden. "If you ask us to join the war, we will do it and we will listen to your instructions. If you stop us from doing something, we will abide by your instructions."
In December an audiotape attributed to Mr. bin Laden praised Mr. Zarqawi and his attacks in Iraq.
"We, in Al Qaeda organization, welcome his joining forces with us, a great welcome," the tape said. "And this will be a great step toward unifying the mujahedeen's efforts in establishing the nation of justice and destroying the nation of evil."
Intelligence officials would not say how they had intercepted the recent communication from Mr. bin Laden to Mr. Zarqawi or how it had been sent. But two officials said Monday that they had reason to believe the message, which was sent in recent weeks, was authentic.
"This is not necessarily about on-going plotting or on-going planning or a specific threat," one intelligence official said. "It is just a matter of trying to enlist him to become involved in attacks against the United States or elsewhere outside of Iraq."
Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
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