ARAB-US RELATIONS - Oct. 2 - NATO Accepts US Proof Of Bin Ladin Involvement.

After a briefing by US counter-terrorism specialist Frank Taylor, NATO Sec-Gen. George Robertson says: "It is clear that all roads lead to Al Qaida and pinpoint Osama Bin Ladin as being involved" in the Sept. 11 attacks on the US. He says the alliance military staff is making contingency plans. NATO ministers formalise their earlier invocation of Article 5 of the alliance charter, saying proof that the attacks on New York and Washington originated abroad has now been provided. The mutual-defence clause allows the US to request military support from any of the 18 other alliance members. British PM Blair says the Taliban regime of Afghanistan must "surrender the terrorists or surrender power". He says: "This is a battle with only one out-come. Our victory, not theirs. The action that we take will be proportionate, targeted; we will do all we humanly can to avoid civilian casualties. Whatever the dangers of the action we take, the dangers of inaction are far, far greater", he says, asserting that the terrorists would as gladly have killed 70,000 as 7,000 in the Sept. 11 attacks. "There is no compromise possible with such people, there's no meeting of minds". There was only one choice, he says: "Defeat it or be defeated by it, and defeat it we must". (Washington also received further backing from other European countries. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said it would be "much better if the Taliban disappeared". He said Paris would prefer a political solution but added: "You have to square this solution with the reality". German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said the US has "shown Al Qaida is responsible" for the attacks. He said German "military contributions" were possible in the US-led campaign against terrorism). Meanwhile, a fourth US carrier group steams towards the Gulf region. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld heads for the Middle East. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer says Pres. Bush has asked Rumsfeld to undertake "information-sharing and consultation with friends" in several nations. US administration spokesmen praise Saudi promises of co-operation in the anti-terror campaign even as Riyadh has balked publicly at the use of their bases for strikes on any Muslim country (see Saudi Arabia). Fleischer, asked whether further diplomatic efforts are required before strikes could be launched, replies: "I don't think you should jump to the conclusion that anything else has to be done before action can begin".