The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, is on a whirlwind tour of the Middle East amid the first signs of pressure to define the precise war aims of the action against Afghanistan.
Before leaving for undisclosed destinations near the conflict zone, Mr Blair again vowed the Western coalition must not repeat past mistakes and abandon the people of Afghanistan after the "war" on terrorism is ended.
As another night of allied air attacks got under way on Taliban defences, the prime minister also promised that the deaths of four innocent civilians attached to the United Nations during Monday night's bombing missions would be investigated.
Political debate in Britain has began to turn on the question of war aims and the possible extension of allied action to other countries believed to harbour or sponsor international terrorists.
On the eve of his first big speech to the Conservative party conference as leader, Mr Iain Duncan Smith suggested the international community might have to "deal with" the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein.
Confirming he had already raised this issue with Mr Blair, Mr Duncan Smith's comments were seen as potentially significant - both because of his own close contacts with the US administration, and in light of indications from Washington on Monday that the Pentagon was pressing for just such a plan.
In his statement to MPs on Monday night, Mr Blair appeared to prepare the British parliament and people for the further development of allied goals, declaring: "Even when al-Qaeda is dealt with, the job is not over."
Overseas Development Secretary, Ms Clare Short - who attended yesterday's first meeting of Mr Blair's war cabinet - stressed the need for a strictly limited military campaign. Downing Street sources refused to be drawn on any possible future tension between British and American objectives, insisting: "Our emphasis is on Afghanistan - we have to deal with that."
However, the Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, Mr Menzies Campbell, called on the British government to clarify its aims in the current conflict following the publication of letters written by the UK and US authorities to the UN Security Council.
The letters, sent by the American and British ambassadors to the UN, set out the justification for air strikes against Afghanistan under the terms of the UN charter permitting military action in self-defence. While the letter from the US Ambassador, Mr John Negroponte, suggested the war against terrorism might be extended to other countries, his British counterpart, Mr Steward Eldon, made no reference to such a possibility.
Mr Menzies Campbell said: "In view of the apparent contradictions, it is essential that the UK government clarifies its position, especially when there is loose talk about precipitate military action against Iraq without any proper understanding of the consequences."
Meanwhile the 'Father of the Commons', Mr Tam Dalyell, demanded the immediate cessation of the bombings.
Following the first civilian deaths as result of allied action, he declared: "Inevitably, forseeably and foreseen, predictably and predicted, bombs would go astray. It has happened on day two with the slaughter of those trying to do something about the dreadful situation of landmines."
Mr Dalyell went on: "As far as we know, not a single Afghan has been implicated in the hideous attack carried out mostly by Saudi Arabian nationals against Manhattan and Washington. It is a question of law as to whether Afghanistan has to pay the price."