US President George W Bush has rejected the Taliban’s reported offer to ask Osama bin Laden to leave Afghanistan voluntarily.
White House press secretary Mr Ari Fleischer said the proposal did not meet their requirements.
"This is about much more than any one man being allowed to leave - presumably from one safe harbour to another safe harbour, if what he's doing is voluntary," he said.
"It's time for action not words and the president has demanded that the key figures of the al-Qaeda terrorist organisation, including Osama bin Laden, be turned over to responsible authorities and that the Taliban close terrorist camps in Afghanistan. The United States stands behind those demands."
The Taliban news agency reported earlier today that a council of Afghanistan's most senior Islamic clerics had decided bin Laden should be asked to leave the country.
Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, who is believed to have final decision-making power, did not attend the meetings.
"The Ulema wants the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan to encourage Osama to leave Afghanistan, but of his own free will," the news agency reported.
However, the clerics said it would be duty of all Muslims to rise up in holy war if the US attacks Afghanistan. It also repeated threats that war would be directed at anyone who cooperates with the US in the event of an attack.
PA