Aircraft 'free to bomb Afghanistan 24 hours a day'

Attacks on Afghanistan’s air defences and military aircraft have been so successful that American planes are now free to bomb 24 hours a day, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today.

Mr Rumsfeld was speaking as a third night of attacks by US bombers, cruise missiles and strike aircraft got under way. British involvement tonight was limited to RAF tankers refuelling US planes in mid-air, said the Ministry of Defence.