Blair ends whirlwind trip with warning to Taliban

Tony Blair warns all preparations are now in place for a military strike against Osama bin Laden and Afghanistan's Taliban regime.

He says his three-day diplomatic shuttle mission has left him convinced a global coalition now accepted the inter-connection between bin Laden and the Taliban.

He says the Taliban has had three weeks to do what they have to do to avoid being targeted.

"We have obviously been prepared since September 11 and those preparations for any military actions are there, so that's clear," the Premier told reporters travelling with him from New Delhi, India, to London.

The Prime Minister stressed: "There are very, very important reasons for taking this action. For a long time there was an insufficient world consensus about taking such action, but there is now."

Mr Blair also warned: "We can't undertake military action without any risks being run but we can do everything, we will do everything, to minimise risks to our servicemen."

The Prime Minister said in a Sky News interview recorded on board his chartered British Airways 777 jet: "Things are coming into place. The timing of any action is a matter to be discussed with our close allies.

"What has been happening is that there is a political and diplomatic coalition there that's very strong.

"The Taliban have had several weeks in which to respond, they have known what they have to do - and what has become clear in the discussions I have had in the region is that the links between bin Laden and the Taliban are enormous. They are interconnected totally along with each other."

Mr Blair landed back in London after a diplomatic odyssey which began on Thursday with a trip to Moscow and was then followed by visits to Islamabad, Pakistan's capital and India.