World 'safer' after Taleban surrender

US Foreign Secretary Colin Powell meets Mr Straw

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has said the world is a safer place following the defeat of the Taleban regime in Afghanistan.

Mr Straw also said the fight against terrorism would continue "in other countries" if necessary.

In these four weeks the world has become a very much safer place and Afghanistan a very much happier place

Jack Straw

He was speaking as the southern stronghold of Kandahar fell to forces loyal to the UN-backed interim administration.

But, he added, question marks remain over the future of Taleban leader Mullah Omar - while the hunt for prime terror suspect Osama Bin Laden continues.

He said it was not a "grave disappointment" that Bin Laden remained at large, despite the reported capture of his main base in the Tora Bora mountains.

"It was always going to be difficult to find one individual," Mr Straw continued.

He stressed that victory in Afghanistan would not mean the end of the fight against terrorism.

He told the BBC he wanted to "identify those areas where al-Qaeda is still operating" which would include "some countries in Asia and North Africa".

'Completely transformed'

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Straw said coalition action in Afghanistan had made "remarkable" progress in a short space of time.

"The situation in Afghanistan and therefore the rest of the world has completely been transformed and in these four weeks the world has become a very much safer place and Afghanistan a very much happier place," he said.

"So it is pretty astonishing what's happened."

The foreign secretary refused to be drawn on the future of Mullah Omar, who is believed to be on the run following the surrender of Kandahar to opposition forces.

The decision whether Omar should be brought to trial was "entirely a matter" for America, said Mr Straw, as it was "crimes against the US" which had led to the war on the Taleban regime.

But, he added: "You cannot let someone like Mullah Omar slip quietly into history."

Russia's role

Mr Straw, who is in Brussels for a North Atlantic council meeting, also played down a reported split with the US on closer co-operation between Russia and Nato.

"The position of the US government is the same as our position.

"We want extensive detailed co-operation and collaboration with Russia and they with us."

Mr Straw went on: "Russia does not want to be a member of Nato - they have not asked - so decision by Nato will continue to be made by the 19 Nato members and not 19 plus one, Russia."

"So far as possible" any decisions made by Nato would have to be accepted by Russia and vice versa, Mr Straw said.

However, there would still be times when Russia and Nato had to make their own decisions and "since Russia is not seeking to be a member of Nato, the question of a Russian veto does not arise".

'Renounce terrorism'

Meanwhile, Hamid Karzai, the man chosen to lead Afghanistan's interim administration, appeared to backtrack on an initial pledge to offer amnesty to Omar and afford him protection if he promised to "renounce terrorism".

But on Friday morning, Mr Karzai said even if Omar renounced terrorism "we cannot help him, he must face trial".

He told the Today programme he was offering Omar security, not amnesty.

Mr Karzai's comments came after US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Washington would not accept a surrender deal which would allow Omar to remain free.