US may need to leave Israel out

Since the US must recruit Arab and Muslim countries if its crusade against terrorism is to succeed, Washington may have to exclude Israel from the new coalition.

Thus, President Bush, may have to follow the example of his father, who built a 38-nation military alliance to drive Iraq's forces from Kuwait a decade ago.

No Arab government can afford to be aligned with Israel as long as it continues to prosecute a war of attrition against Palestinians.

The Arabs, Iran and Turkey have expressed readiness to participate in an anti-terror campaign, but have not committed themselves to taking part in armed action.

The Arab League secretary-general, Mr Amr Mousa, said: "We stand ready to co-operate after proper consultations on what will be the action to come."

Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, the four countries whose citizens have so far been named as suspects, are under great pressure to "wrap up and prosecute terrorists on their own soil", as a US State Department message put it.

But the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Murbarak, stated his opposition tot he formantion of an anti-terrorist coalition outside the UN.

The UAE President, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, expressed the UAE's "willingness to take part in any campaign aimed at eradicating terrorism in all its forms" - with the proviso that any effort should be under UN auspices. The UAE is "reviewing" ties with the Afghan Taliban, which hosts the alleged terrorist mastermind, Mr Osama bin Laden.

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah said he would co-operate fully with the fully with the US.

Lebanon will follow the lead of Syria. Damascus's stand was suggested by its ally, the Lebanese Hizbollah, which cautioned against giving Washington a "free hand to retaliate by any means under the banner of the struggle against terrorism".

Bahrain, home to a major US base, also insists that the campaign should be under the UN.

The State Department is "exploring" the recruitment of Iran. Turkey, a NATO member, is certain to co-operate. As the price of participation, the Arabs and Iran are expected to demand that Washington press Israel to end its attacks on the Palestinians and return to negotiations.

Tehran's mayor, Mr Morteza Alviri, has se4nta a message of condolence to the major of New York, Mr Rudolph Giuliani, in the first public official contact between the two countries since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran's medial reported yesterday.

Afghan guerrillas fighting the Taliban movement pledged to support any US strike against camps run by Mr Osama bin Laden.

The alliance's former military leader, Ahmad Shah Masood, was buried yesterday, the day after his death from wounds inflicted by a suicide bomber on September 9th.