Pakistan Comes Closer

As Washington considered its options, Pakistan moved closer to the American campaign against terror by saying it would comply with the United Nations` Security Council decisions on this week`s attacks.

The Pakistani government says it will send a high-level delegation to Kabul and ask the Taliban to hand over bin Laden within three days or "face massive military retaliation. They did not say whether they would take part in that retaliation.

On Saturday, Powell said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had agreed to all U.S. requests.

Pakistan has closed its border with Afghanistan, and cut off the supply of fuel to that nation, per U.S. requests. Pakistan is also sharing its intelligence on bin Laden with the United States.

Powell said he wanted to "thank the president and people of Pakistan for the support that they have offered, and their willingness to assist us in whatever might be required in that part of the world."

Powell is also believed to have asked for U.S. military access to Pakistani airspace. U.S. officials may have also asked to station troops there for attacks on Afghanistan, but that would be a tough sell with the Pakistani public, many of whom support Afghanistan`s Taliban rulers — and have hard feelings toward the United States.

In a thinly veiled warning to Pakistan, Taliban`s reclusive Supreme Leader, the mysterious one-eyed Mullah Mohammed Omar, said Afghans were prepared for war, and would fight any nation aiding a U.S. attack on their nation.

The Taliban called an emergency meeting to discuss national defense today.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: ABC NEWS