Washington: In what could be a clinching evidence against Iraq's claims to the UN that it destroyed all its chemical weapons, the US has received "credible reports" that al-Qaida militants received in Iraq the nerve agent VX, used as a chemical weapon, which was smuggled through Turkey.

The Bush administration has received "a credible report that Islamic extremists affiliated with al-Qaida took possession of a chemical weapon in Iraq last month or late in October," a media report said quoting official sources.

They said government analysts suspect that the transaction involved the nerve agent VX and that a courier managed to smuggle it overland through Turkey.

"If the report is true," 'The Washington Post' said, "the transaction marks two significant milestones. It would be the first known acquisition of a non- conventional weapon other than cyanide by al-Qaida or a member of its network. It also would be the most concrete evidence to support the charge, aired for months by President George W Bush and his advisors to justify war against Iraq, that al-Qaida militants receive material assistance in Iraq."

"If advanced publicly by the White House, the report could be used to rebut Iraq's assertion in a 12,000-page declaration Saturday that it had destroyed its entire stock of chemical weapons," the report said.

On whether Iraqi President Saddam Hussein knew about or authorised such a transaction, 'The Post' said there was no indication in the report but US officials said since Hussein's handpicked Special Security Organisation, run by his son Qusay, has long exerted tight control over weapons programmes, they presume it would be difficult to transfer a chemical agent without the President's knowledge.

PTI