A United States intelligence official reported on Monday that Osama bin Laden asked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most-sought militant leader in Iraq, to think over a plan of attacks outside Iraq and possibly on America.
"It was a call from [Ayman] al-Zawahri in January," an intelligence source said yesterday. "He asked [al-Zarqawi] if he could plan something inside the United States."

As no exact location or date was mentioned, there was no immediate move to raise the Department of Homeland Security’s color-coded threat level, 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."

"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 appeared ascribed to Mr. bin Laden extolling 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."

"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."