<

Allies Hint at Use of Ground Troops
Thursday, October 18, 2001
World News

Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush have given the strongest hints yet that ground troops are to be used in Afghanistan.

As round-the-clock bombing of Taleban targets in Afghanistan continued, Mr Blair said the next few weeks would be 'the most testing time' for the coalition.

Mr Blair suggested the phase of military action involving air strikes against Taleban targets was drawing to a close and that a new phase was about to begin.

"There will be further action that we are considering taking, again targeted," he said.

"There is support for the Northern Alliance being given and there is the continuing weakening of the Taleban regime."

The Prime Minister would not be drawn on whether the next phase would involve the deployment of British and US troops in Afghanistan.

"I don't want to say any more about the precise nature of our operation," he said.

"I don't think we have ever contemplated this being done by air power alone."

Mr Blair also challenged Taleban claims that more than 400 people had died in the air strikes so far.
"I would counsel a great deal of caution about the various messages the Taleban put out about what is going on in Afghanistan," he said.

"All the way through we need to treat with very great caution some of these reports that come out of Afghanistan when the authors of those reports are the Taleban regime."

The 12th day of airstrikes continued with US jets attacking a Taleban tank unit and other military installations in the centre of Afghan capital Kabul.

There have also been persistant reports that the US strikes have killed civilians.

In the north, opposition forces were reported to be fighting hard for a strategic Taleban-held city, pressing their first major offensive since the US-led airstrikes began.
(ITV.com News Source)
2001 © ITV Network, Ltd.

Dan