US fears al Qaida relationship with Hezbollah

US intelligence agencies say minor al Qaida members are building relationships with members of Hezbollah, sparking fears that the world’s two most sophisticated Islamic terror networks will start co-operating.

The contacts so far are not extensive and officials say Iranian-backed Hezbollah has plenty of reasons, both ideological and practical, to spurn any formal advances from the leadership of al Qaida, Osama bin Laden’s terror group.