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Allies on Brink of Launching Task Force
Monday, October 01, 2001
By Mark Riley / The Sydney Morning Herald

As planning for the attacks on 30 identified terrorist camps entered its final stage, Mr Bush approved a covert plan to fund and arm an array of opposition forces in Afghanistan to help their fight to unseat the Taliban.

New York -- The Sydney Morning Herald
The United States-led attacks against terrorist camps in Afghanistan appeared imminent last night after the Taliban regime admitted for the first time that it was hiding Osama bin Laden and would not turn him over.

Washington immediately warned the Taliban that the admission clearly marked it as a target in President George Bush's battle plan against governments that harbour terrorists.

Afghanistan's rulers offered to discuss bin Laden's status with the US, but the Defense Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld, said the issue was "not negotiable". He accused the Taliban of being "world-class harborers" of terrorists and said he did not believe any statement they made regarding bin Laden.
(More: SMH.com.au News Source)
Copyright © 2001 The Sydney Morning Herald

Dan