US intelligence officials claim that a group of Algerians in London have direct links to the al Qaeda terrorist network.

They believe the men are "associates" schooled by Osama bin Laden's top biowarfare expert, Abu Mussab al Zarqawi.

Washington officials told news network CNN they have intelligence evidence that ties the Algerians to Zarqawi, a one-legged Jordanian who commanded an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan and is now at large.