The suicide bomb attack that killed seven CIA officers in Afghanistan could have been planned by one of Osama bin Laden's closest allies, according to US intelligence sources

They believe that the Haqqani network, which controls the area around Khost where the bombing occurred on Dec 30, authorised if not aided the Jordanian double agent who carried out the deadliest attack on the US spy agency for 30 years.

Michael Scheuer, the former head of the CIA unit tracking bin Laden, said: "There is no way this operation would have occurred in Khost without the knowledge and active support of Jalaluddin Haqqani and/or his son.

"They and their organisation own the area and nothing occurs that would impact their tribe or its allies without their knowledge or OK.

Both men, moreover, would be delighted to help bin Laden in any way they can."

During the Afghan resistance to the Soviet invasion, the Haqqanis were US allies. Now led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the clan now rivals the Taliban and al-Qaeda as a threat to US forces in Afghanistan.

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