Republican John McCain intensified criticism of Barack Obama’s vow to pull troops out of Iraq, saying the Democratic presidential candidate’s plan would lay the Arab nation open to the kind of chaos that gripped it 18 months ago.

Fears that Osama bin Laden may try to stage fresh al-Qaida atrocities in Europe grew tonight after he accused the pope of heading an anti-Muslim crusade.

US vice president Dick Cheney landed at the largest US military base in Afghanistan this afternoon for consultations with American military leaders, but a planned meeting with President Hamid Karzai was cancelled because of inclement weather.

It appears unlikely that Osama bin Laden, if still alive, is in full command of the al-Qaida terrorist network, according to US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

A suspected al Qaida operative who allegedly helped Osama bin Laden evade capture in Afghanistan is being held by the US, it emerged today.

A militant group claiming responsibility for kidnapping three foreign UN workers said today it will execute them unless Britain withdraws its troops from Afghanistan and two other governments stop supporting US policy.

The US is moving a secret commando unit from Iraq to Afghanistan to step up the hunt for Osama bin Laden, it was reported in Washington today.

Pakistan has handed over to US authorities about 20 Arabs arrested last week in raids on suspected al Qaida hideouts, a senior intelligence official said today.