WASHINGTON, Aug 4 (AFP) - Al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan contacted at least six people in the United States and at least one of the contacts was in recent months, CNN on Wednesday quoted US intelligence sources as saying.
The network said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed to have proof of communications between al-Qaeda and contacts in the United States.
It also quoted two sources in the US government, also unnamed, as saying intelligence gathered in Pakistan had furnished proof that suspected al-Qaeda operatives had contacted at least one person and possibly more in the United States in the course of recent months.
The report followed a warning on Tuesday by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge that al-Qaeda agents were believed to be currently in the United States, although he said there was no hard evidence of that.
On Sunday, Ridge raised the terrorist alert level for key financial centers, warning that al-Qaeda may attack the International Monetary Fund and World Bank headquarters in Washington and the New York Stock Exchange.
He said there were reports that Osama bin Laden`s group planned to use truck or car bombs against the targets, and that the terror threat level was being raised to "high" from "elevated" in each of the locations.