The Taliban government of Afghanistan delayed issuing a final response Tuesday to American demands that it surrender Osama bin Laden, but Muslim clerics there and in Pakistan talked of resisting the United States if it attacked.
Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's leader, is scheduled to address the country Wednesday after having met for several days with religious leaders and opinion makers to build support for his decision to back U.S. military action.
Religious leaders called for a nationwide strike Friday to protest U.S. pressure on Afghanistan, and there are concerns that an American military strike would spark mass protests and increase the danger of terrorist attacks by Taliban supporters.
U.S. officials have named bin Laden, who is treated as a 'guest' by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, as the prime suspect in last week's devastating attacks on New York and Washington. It has vowed to punish his protectors, as well.
A Pakistani delegation traveled to Kandahar, the city the Taliban uses as its headquarters, and Kabul, the Afghan capital, to convince the Taliban to surrender bin Laden, but flew home Tuesday with no more than a hope that a council of senior clerics will make a decision later this week on bin Laden's fate.
The Taliban apparently did not rule out the possibility that bin Laden was responsible for the attacks against the United States but demanded proof of his involvement before handing him over.
'Anyone who is responsible for this act, Osama or not, we will not side with him,' Information Minister Qudrutullah Jamal told the Reuters news agency by telephone from Kabul. 'We told [the Pakistani delegation] to give us proof that he did it, because without that how can we give him up'?
It is unclear how the Taliban's Islamic council will debate bin Laden's fate. In the past, the council of about 1,000 Muslim clerics has usually ratified the views of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. It endorsed Omar's decision this year to demolish ancient Buddhist statues at Bamyan, despite world condemnation.
Mullah Mohammed Hasan Akhund, the deputy Taliban leader, was quoted by government radio as threatening a holy war against the United States.
'If America attacks our homes, it is necessary for all Muslims, especially for Afghans, to wage a holy war,' he was quoted as saying. 'God is on our side, and if the world's people try to set fire to Afghanistan, God will protect us and help us.'
An influential Muslim cleric in Pakistan added to the pressures here by issuing a 'fatwa,' a religious decree, saying that Muslims were obliged to oppose Pakistan's cooperation with 'nonbelievers' such as the United States. Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai was quoted as saying it was 'un-Islamic' for any Muslim country to participate in an attack against Afghanistan or to aid the attackers.
U.S. seeks international support, plans for war
President Bush met with French President Jacques Chirac Tuesday, who pledged his support for a U.S. war on terrorism.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld left little doubt that France and other foreign governments are being asked to endorse a potentially long and bitter conflict, albeit one that may not start for some time.
'This is a new type of conflict,' he said. 'We're moving in a very measured manner as we gather information.'
Once that information is collected, he said, 'We're talking about a very broadly based campaign to go after the terrorist problem where it exists, and it exists in countries across the globe.' A war in Afghanistan 'will not be quick and it will not be easy,' he added.
Rumsfeld said the conflict would be unconventional because the terrorists do not possess the usual targets of warfare, such as armies and fixed military assets.
'But those countries that support them and give sanctuary do have such targets,' he said. 'The terrorists do not function in a vacuum. They don't live in Antarctica. They work, they train and they plan in countries. They're benefitting from the support of governments.'
Asked if he knew of evidence that there was state support for the New York and Pentagon terror attacks, Rumsfeld paused for several moments before answering. He said he would leave any specifics to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, but added: 'I mean, I know a lot, and what I have said as clearly as I know how is that states are supporting these people.'
Earlier in the briefing, Rumsfeld said the terrorists 'are fostered and financed and encouraged, if not just tolerated, by a series of countries on this globe. And we are saying that we think that is striking directly at the way of life of the American people, and that we intend to find ways to alter that behavior.'
Asked if it would be U.S. policy to seek to oust regimes that refused to stop supporting terrorists, Rumsfeld replied, 'Each would be an individual case, one would think.'
U.S. efforts to assemble an international coalition for a campaign against Osama bin Laden and other terrorists received a boost Tuesday when Palestinians and Israelis announced steps to enforce a cease-fire after a year of escalating violence and bloodshed. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East had threatened to undermine U.S. efforts to build momentum for its anti-terrorism campaign with many Arab and Muslim countries.
Rescue efforts continue with little hope
In New York City, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Tuesday the rescue efforts would continue. But his statements have grown increasingly pessimistic over the past few days.
'The chances of recovering any live human beings are very, very small now,' he said. 'Those chances are not totally over. ... But we don't have any substantial amount of hope that we'll find anyone alive.'
So far 5,422 people have been reported missing and 218 have been confirmed dead, with 115 bodies identified. Sanitation workers have hauled away 49,553 tons of debris from the area, city officials said.
