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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: greenspirit who wrote (203538)	11/16/2001 6:34:46 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

British forces go in Up to 100 Royal Marine commandos have landed at Bagram air base near the Afghan capital of Kabul, opening the way for a humanitarian mission into the region. thisislondon.com The Britons, who touched down at noon GMT yesterday, will secure the airport and then clear a pathway into Kabul for any future aid missions, said senior defence sources. News of the British deployment came as Prime Minister Tony Blair warned the campaign against terrorism was far from over despite his claims that the Taliban were near "collapse". The US was declaring today that up to 50 countries could be targeted in the next wave of the war against terror, as the continuing campaign in Afghanistan unfolds. The first wave of British troops were expected to pave the way for a much larger deployment at any time in the next few days. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said that although there were a large number of British troops on standby, "there is no assumption yet that they are definitely going to be deployed". The MoD spokesman added: "It is very much a technical operation to look at the airfield." Yesterday's move marks a dramatic shift in British involvement in the Afghanistan campaign - previously only two submarines and RAF refuelling aircraft had been involved. Up to 4,000 British forces are on standby to go to the region, members of the Second Battalion the Parachute Regiment and other members of 45 Royal Marines Commando. Their task will not be a traditional peacekeeping role, but one of clearing a way for aid agencies such as the World Food Programme to take badly-needed supplies to hundreds of thousands of refugees otherwise facing starvation. US Vice President Dick Cheney was today telling the BBC World Service about the next stage of the war effort. "There are a great many places around the world where there are cells of the al Qaida organisation, maybe as many as 40 or 50 countries. "We're working with the services of other countries and other governments to try to wrap those organisations up." Mr Cheney was also making clear that military action could be taken if other means did not prevail. The interview, being heard in Afghanistan, was designed to strengthen the alliance propaganda drive. Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday told Cabinet colleagues that the campaign was far from over, stressing there were pockets of resistance in northern Afghanistan, while Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon made clear the situation around the city of Kunduz was "fluid". Mr Cheney was telling the BBC World Service: "We'll continue to work to drive our financial assets and resources to where it's appropriate. We'll be prepared to use military action, should that be required, in order to close down these operations. "The United States and the rest of the world now have made it very clear that we will not tolerate that kind of activity, nor will we tolerate governments who provide sanctuary for terrorists. "I'm sure the campaign ahead will be a long one, but in the end it will be successful."