Bush plots attack plans

US operational plans remain under wraps

President George W Bush has been putting forward US plans for a military campaign against suspected terrorists involved in last week's attacks on New York and Washington.

Mr Bush spent Saturday consulting his top military advisers as US forces massed in the Gulf and Indian Ocean for a possible strike on Afghanistan.

US defence officials say more warplanes are being sent to bases or aircraft-carriers near Afghanistan, adding to the estimated 350 planes already in the region.

We are still the greatest nation on the face of the earth, and no terrorist will ever be able to decide our fate

President Bush, radio address to nation

Five thousand extra air national guard and air force reservists have been called up, bringing the total number to 15,000.

And in a separate move, Mr Bush ordered the freezing of assets in the US of various people and groups suspected of terrorist links.

Meanwhile, efforts to build a broad coalition of states willing to help fight terrorism are bearing fruit, with Turkey and other strategically important countries offering their help.

The BBC's World Affairs Editor John Simpson, who has been smuggled into and out of Afghanistan, says the Taleban have been fortifying hill posts in expectation of a land attack.

But as thousands of Afghans flee their homes the scene is one of emptiness and desolation, our correspondent says.

In other developments:

• Two men are arrested in Belgium by police investigating attacks on US targets
• Turkey opens its airspace to US transport aircraft involved in any military action and offers to train Afghan opposition fighters
• 13 British warships pass through Suez Canal, heading for military manoeuvres in Oman
• 
  

  Work at the World Trade Center could go on for six months
  
  The UN comes under intense pressure to resume wheat imports to Afghanistan
• Russian officials hold talks in Tajikistan with leaders of the anti-Taleban Northern Alliance
• New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani says it could take at least six months to clear the wreckage of the World Trade Center attack. Number of missing: 6,333
• President Bush tells Americans the economy remains "fundamentally strong"
• European finance ministers order an investigation into suspicious share-trading in the days before the attacks amid fears that huge profits were made from airline and insurance company losses.

President Bush is at his Camp David retreat and has discussed the crisis with his National Security Council via a video conference.

Bush spoke by phone to the Russian president

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said Washington will "act in concert with the rest of the civilised world" to hold to account all those supporting or harbouring terrorists.

Washington received the strong support of European Union leaders on Friday, who agreed that targeted US retaliation for the attacks would be "legitimate".

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday it had cut diplomatic ties with the Taleban, after failing to persuade them to hand over Bin Laden.

Only two countries - Pakistan and Saudi Arabia - still recognise the Taleban. Pakistan said it had no plans to follow the example of the UAE.

Aircraft 'shot down'

The Taleban, who are sheltering Bin Laden and his supporters, say they have shot down an unmanned spy plane over northern Afghanistan.

But it is not yet clear to whom the aircraft belonged. One Taleban official said it was a helicopter belonging to opposition forces.

Despite reports of heavy fighting in the north, the BBC's Jacky Rowland, in territory held by the opposition Northern Alliance near Tajikistan, says she has seen only sporadic shooting.