Blair talks tough

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has ruled out any negotiation with Afghanistan's ruling Taleban as he prepares to fly to meet US President George Bush in Washington.

Ahead of his Concorde flight to America on Wednesday, Mr Blair used a US television interview to say the campaign against terror needed efforts to "win people's hearts and minds" as well as military action.

Speaking on CNN's Larry King Live on Tuesday, the prime minister said the Taleban had "virtually merged" with the al-Qaeda terror group.

Mr Blair, who faced Arab hostility to the bombing in Afghanistan first hand last week, argued the international coalition assembled since the US terror attacks remained "remarkably strong".

Praise for Bush

He praised President Bush's "magnificent" handling of the international crisis in the interview, which has yet to be broadcast.

Some reports suggest Taleban leader Mullah Omar has offered to hold face-to-face talks with the UK and US leaders, but Mr Blair dismissed that option.

"Our information is ... that effectively the Taleban regime and the al-Qaeda network have virtually merged now.

"So there's no negotiating with them. They yield up the al-Qaeda terrorists, the network, Bin Laden - and they could do it if they wanted to do it."

Mr Blair said Osama Bin Laden, the coalition's chief suspect for the terror attacks, had shown his character in his video statements.

"You don't negotiate with that kind. You just defeat them," he said.

'No choice'

Arguing the events of 11 September were an attack on civilised values everywhere, the prime minister said the war on terror was not a fight the UK could have avoided.

Amid suggestions that public support for bombing is waning, he acknowledged people were concerned about the military campaign.

But he continued: "As people in positions of leadership, I think we've just got to explain patiently to people: 'Yes, it can take time, but it's necessary to do.'

"We don't end it until our objectives are met in full.

"It requires resolve and determination, and it also requires some understanding that we need to win, not just the military action, but to win people's minds as well."

Mr Blair is expected to use his US trip to update President Bush on last week's tour of the Middle East.

Many commentators believe Mr Blair effectively acted as a US envoy on that tour, which saw the coalition bombing publicly criticised by Syria's President Assad.

Despite that incident, Mr Blair said in his interview he was convinced of Muslim commitment to tackling terrorism.

"Of course, in certain parts of the Arab world and the Muslim world, there's a hesitation about the bombing campaign - will we achieve our objectives, and so on. All that's natural.

"But I found no hesitation whatever on the essential issues of condemnation of September 11 and the need to take action."

Recasting relations

He also argued the west had to recast its relationships with the Arab and Muslim world and to restart the Middle East peace process.

The US trip begins another few hectic days of diplomacy for Mr Blair, who on Tuesday met the Rwandan and Ugandan leaders in Downing Street.

He returns to the UK on Thursday, when he will meet King Abdullah of Jordan before hosting Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf at Number 10.

On Friday Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who was among the European leaders at the mini-summit held on Sunday, will return to London for more talks with Mr Blair.

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