The possible replacement of Afghanistan's Taliban regime was on the agenda last night as the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Mr Blair stopped short of defining the removal of the Taliban as one of the specific aims of the imminent "war" against international terrorism when he addressed a reconvened House of Commons yesterday. But as he published a declassified document firmly putting Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network in the dock for the September 11th attacks in America, Mr Blair told MPs the Taliban regime must hand over bin Laden or else "we must bring about changes in that regime".
As Mr Blair flew to Moscow on another round of diplomacy which will take in Pakistan and a visit to British troops in Oman, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, confirmed that the two leaders would be discussing the future government of Afghanistan.
Mr Straw told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "It's [the meeting] not just about tactics. It's also about the longer term strategy for humanitarian relief into Afghanistan but also, absolutely critical, that if the Taliban remove themselves or are removed, there has to be a broadly-based government there."
The Foreign Secretary continued: "There has to be a government that does not go through the terrible saga of the last three decades, where one pretty brutal regime is replaced by another." Mr Straw also said he was encouraged that Pakistan accepted that the evidence amassed against bin Laden was sufficient to indict him for the Washington and New York attacks. "I think President Musharraf recognised the truth very early on. But it's obviously very helpful for him to have been able to see a lot of evidence and to have made this statement."
While Mr Blair and Mr Straw acknowledged it was not possible to publish a lot of the raw intelligence on which the indictment of bin Laden was based, the Prime Minister's spokesman insisted publication of the document was nonetheless "exceptional". Mr Blair told the Commons bin Laden and his terror group planned and executed the September 11th attacks and were able to do so because of their relationship with a Taliban regime which allowed them to act "with impunity".
Warning that "we are now approaching the difficult time when action is taken" the Prime Minister vowed: " The coalition is strong. Military plans are robust. The humanitarian plans are falling into place and the evidence against bin Laden and his network is overwhelming." Meanwhile former prime minister Lady Thatcher was accused of fuelling racial tensions yesterday after her declaration that she had "not heard enough condemnation from Muslim priests" of the American atrocities. Mr Michael Heseltine, a former deputy prime minister, said her remarks "could only encourage" those with racist tendencies to act.
A man from south-east London is to appear in court today charged with two offences under terrorism legislation. Mr Sulayman Balal Zainulabidin (43) has been charged with offences related to providing instructions for making weapons that could include firearms or chemical or biological weapons.