5:22 AM SGT

Military action against Taliban inevitable: Blair

BRIGHTON, England, Oct 1 (AFP) -

Tony Blair is to warn Tuesday that an attack is imminent against the forces of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia and Osama bin Laden's training camps, said sources close the British prime minister on Monday.

Blair was to reveal details of a US-led military offensive with possible British participation in a key speech he was to deliver Tuesday afternoon to the annual conference of his Labour Party in Brighton, southern England.

"They (the Taliban) had the chance to surrender the terrorists (which they are harbouring) -- they chose not to," Blair will say, according to the sources.

Britain has already frozen 88.4 million dollars in assets as part of a tightening clampdown against suspected terrorist networks.

Government aides said the funds were linked to the Taliban regime, to bin Laden, the prime suspect in the terror attacks in New York and Washington last month, and to his al-Qaeda network.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001

Answers

BBC Blair moves to war footing Blair will give details of looming military action

By Nick Assinder BBC News Online political correspondent

Tony Blair is to signal the start of all-out war against the Taleban in one of the most sombre and important party conference speeches ever made by a prime minister.

In his keynote address to the Labour rally on Tuesday he will say the Afghan regime has run out of time and must now pay the price for harbouring Osama Bin Laden.

And he will make it crystal clear that military action against Kabul is now imminent and will be devastating.

He will tell delegates in Brighton - and the country as a whole - that there is no more time for negotiation.

In other developments:

First UN food trucks arrive in Kabul since attacks in US Sources quoted as saying President Bush has approved covert help for the Afghan opposition The Central Asian state of Uzbekistan agrees to open its airspace for any US military operation against Afghanistan The UK is to freeze almost $90m of Taleban assets FBI sources say there is evidence of bank transfers between a Bin Laden financial operative and three of the hijackers shortly before the attacks Pakistan's President Musharraf tells the BBC conflict with the Taleban is inevitable after their failure to hand over Osama bin Laden Afghanistan's former king Zahir Shah reaches agreement with the opposition aimed at ousting the Taleban The International Red Cross warns that landmines pose a major risk for Afghan refugees.

The prime minister will say that the Taleban were given the chance to hand over prime suspect Bin Laden and have refused to do so. And they will now face the consequences.

He will insist that the looming military response will be proportionate and targeted.

He will declare that everything humanly possible will be done to avoid civilian casualties.

Eliminate hardware

In his first detailed comments on exactly what form the action will take, he will say that Bin Laden's military installations and training camps and the Taleban troops, their supplies and finances will all be targeted.

And, in his most hawkish words yet, he will declare that the attacks will eliminate their hardware, disrupt their supplies and target their troops.

The prime minister will acknowledge that many people will feel anxious about the possible consequences of military action.

But he will warn that the dangers of inaction are worse than the dangers of action

British troops are bound to be involved in the strikes, which many now expect within days, if not hours.

Mr Blair wrote the first draft of the speech in Downing Street one evening last week.

Aides said its tone reflects his life-long political belief in the power of community.

Memorial to victims

And he will claim that the only good that may come out of the evil of New York and Washington is that it has brought the world closer together.

The lasting good emerging from the shadow of this evil must be a memorial to the victims of the act, the prime minister is set to declare.

He will say that it has brought home the interdependence of the world which the global community must turn into a force for good.

His words will come towards the end of a foreshortened conference that has inevitably been overshadowed by the international crisis.

Party bosses have been more eager than ever to avoid controversy over issues such as the public services, internal party reforms and the prime minister's backing for US action.

And, so far, there has been far less dissent from the conference floor than at previous conferences.

But Mr Blair knows that the battles over spending and the public services have only been postponed and that the widespread feelings of disillusion with his government are still bubbling under the surface.

A number of delegates were particularly angered by the fact that they have been expected to tone down the controversy while the prime minister - interviewed on the opening day of the rally - insisted he was determined to press ahead with his public sector reforms.

And there have been clear signs of the battles ahead which Mr Blair will still have to join.

Some unions have accused the leadership of trying to "stitch them up" over the public services debate in their selection of motions being put before the conference.

But most realise that a rebellion at this point would, at best, be futile and, at worse, could prove counterproductive.

Mr Blair will address these concerns, but will not be deflected from his aim of radically reforming public services.

His speech will, in effect, mark the end of the conference which will formally come to a close on Wednesday lunch time.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001

Is this more of the scare tactics they are employing?

or are the news people now doing forecasting of future events?

Not that this is any great revelation. My great aunt Sary says her cousin's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend's dad is in the inner circle at the Pentagon, and she says it will be Thursday nite.

I keep wondering how a five sided building could have a circle...

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001

I believe this is a deliberate and planned leak.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001