US woos 'launch-pad' state

Rumsfeld has been trying to win Arab support

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is beginning a visit to Uzbekistan, the last leg of a tour to drum up support for America's campaign against terrorism.

Mr Rumsfeld has already held talks with the leaders of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Uzbekistan is the one country on his tour that shares a common frontier with Afghanistan, where Saudi-born militant Osama Bin Laden, chief suspect in the 11 September terror attacks, is believed to live.

The Uzbeks could potentially provide practical help to Washington, if asked, in the form of ground routes and air bases.

Karimov: Close relationship with US

The BBC's Monica Whitlock - reporting from Dushanbe, the capital of neighbouring Tajikistan - says Uzbek President Islam Karimov sets great store by his relationship with the US.

But, she says, too loud an appreciation of the US could cause problems domestically, where many people admire the Taleban.

Click here for a map of possible Afghan targets

Before flying to Tashkent, Mr Rumsfeld held three hours of talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Mr Rumsfeld said afterwards that Washington was happy for each state to co-operate in its own way with the campaign.

Earlier, Mr Mubarak told reporters that Egyptian troops would not join military action, but pledged his support for America's anti-terror coalition.

"We do not participate with troops anywhere because the Egyptian army is there to defend Egyptian lands," said Mr Mubarak.

Egypt, one of America's main strategic allies in the Middle East, contributed 36,000 troops to the US-led coalition against Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991.