Pakistan presses Powell to end bombing

"Certainly, a majority of the people are against the operation in Afghanistan," Gen. Pervez Musharraf told reporters at the conclusion of an overnight visit to Pakistan by Mr. Powell. "They would like to see this operation terminated as fast as possible, and that is what I would urge the coalition."

The bombing campaign and television footage showing widespread civilian casualties have sparked violent, deadly demonstrations across Pakistan. Gen. Musharraf has come under harsh criticism for allowing U.S. military access to two southern bases as well as opening Pakistani airspace to U.S. warplanes and missiles.

In spite of the domestic pressure, Gen. Musharraf told reporters during a news conference with Mr. Powell that the United States could continue to count on Pakistan's support. "We certainly will carry on cooperating so long as the operation lasts," he said.

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported that one of its warehouses in the Afghan capital of Kabul received a direct hit by a bomb or missile Tuesday, setting the building ablaze and destroying large quantities of relief supplies.

All water and electricity supplies to Kabul also reportedly have been cut. Last week, four U.N. mine-clearing workers were killed in a separate bombing raid, apparently launched by the United States.

Despite the entreaty from Gen. Musharraf, Mr. Powell said the White House has no timetable for ending the attacks. "We would like the military campaign to be as short as possible. We have no desire to extend the campaign beyond the achievement of its goal," he said. "As the president said, it has to be as long as necessary to achieve the military goal."

Mr. Powell also said he would not rule out including members of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia in a new Afghan government once the United States achieves its partial military goal of ousting the Taliban from power.

Mr. Powell called for establishing "a stable and broad-based government" in Afghanistan, "one that welcomes refugees instead of producing them."

Referring to the inclusion of some Taliban leaders in any new government, he said, "To the extent that they are willing to participate in a development of a new Afghanistan, with everybody being represented, then we would have to listen to them or at least take them into account."

He acknowledged that the Taliban would continue as a force to be reckoned with, even if the current leadership falls.

"You can't export them. You can't send them to another country. You can't ethnically cleanse Afghanistan after this is all over," Mr. Powell said. "But you certainly can get rid of this particular regime that has driven this country to such devastation" while determining whether any Taliban leaders "are now willing to participate in a different kind of government where the rights of all are respected."

In Washington, the White House sought to clarify the secretary's remarks.

"The president has made it very plain ... that the United States will work with those who would seek a peaceful, economically developing Afghanistan that is free from terrorism, and that will be a broad-based group," spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "I think beyond that, it's too early to say exactly who will be in, who will not be."

New phase

Military analysts in Pakistan said the low-altitude flights appeared to move the United States one step close to introducing ground troops in Afghanistan.

Reports from Afghanistan indicate that Taliban leaders along with fighters of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organization, which is accused of launching the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, have scattered from key cities that have come under relentless U.S. bombing.

Those reports have sparked rumors that the Taliban leadership might be splitting while fighters allegedly are breaking ranks. One such report was that the Taliban foreign minister, Maulvi Waked Ahmed Mutawakkil, had abandoned the government over the weekend to join anti-Taliban political leaders in Pakistan trying to organize a replacement government.

Mr. Powell dismissed what he called "anecdotal evidence" of such defections, saying there was no confirmation.

If Mr. Mutawakkil's defection were true, it would represent a major success in U.S. efforts to bring down the Taliban – something that almost certainly would be heralded by Washington. However, intelligence services have been known to spread such rumors during wartime as part of "psy-ops," or psychological operations, designed to destabilize the enemy.

Taliban training

"To be honest, the Americans should not reinforce the errors they have already committed. They have not captured Osama bin Laden, and they have not installed a new government in Kabul," he said. "To introduce ground forces into such a hostile environment would be the worst possible error they could commit."

Gen. Musharraf did not address the question of defections but warned that Afghans from across the political spectrum need to be prepared in case the Taliban falls in the coming days or weeks.

"The political process needs to be placed on a fast track in order to forestall the possibility of a political vacuum. It should not lag behind the fast-moving events in the military field," he warned.

Mr. Powell departed for neighboring India on Tuesday afternoon after calling on the two nations, both nuclear powers, to renew talks aimed at reducing tensions in the disputed region of Kashmir.

As the secretary of state arrived in Pakistan on Monday, the Indian military launched an artillery strike against Pakistani mountain positions in Kashmir, accusing Pakistan of allowing its territory to be used for attacks by separatist guerrillas. Late Monday and Tuesday, the two nations exchanged gunfire across the line that separates the Pakistani and Indian-controlled portions of Kashmir.

"We, too, believe that the Kashmir issue is central to the relationship and can be resolved if all parties engage with a willingness to address their concerns in mutually acceptable ways," Mr. Powell said.