The White House on Thursday dismissed as insufficient an edict by Afghan clerics calling on Osama bin Laden to leave Afghanistan, as President George W. Bush warned Americans to expect a long war against terrorism.

In an address to Congress, he issued an ultimatum to Afghanistan's Taliban regime, calling on it to surrender all the leaders of the Al Qaeda, the terrorist groups led by Mr bin Laden, who were hiding in the country. "The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share their fate," he said.

With US forces heading for the Gulf, the administration earlier delivered a hardline response to a request by the Taliban for talks with US officials.

"This is about much more than any one man being allowed to leave voluntarily, presumably from one safe harbour to another safe harbour," said Ari Fleischer, White House press secretary, referring to Mr bin Laden, the prime suspect in last week's terrorist attacks.

On Thursday night, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York said 6,333 people were missing after the attacks on his city. The World Trade Center death toll is 240.

After a two-day meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan's Islamic clerics called for a jihad, or holy war, in the event of a military attack on their country.

Separately, Pakistan's government is understood to be exploring ways of removing from power Mullah Omar, the Taliban's reclusive leader, if Afghanistan fails to satisfy US demands. Pakistan's intelligence agency is understood to be reaching out to moderate elements within the Taliban regime.

"If it comes to a choice between removing Mullah Omar or having American troops on our soil then we should look at ways of changing the regime in Kabul," said a senior Pakistani official.

Reflecting heightened security in the US, Mr Bush said in his address he would appoint Tom Ridge, Pennsylvania governor and a campaign supporter, to a new cabinet position heading an office of homeland security.

Before the address, Mr Bush met Tony Blair, who told him Britain would stand "side by side" with the American people, as they had done for the UK during the second world war.

Earlier the UK prime minister, who hinted that some form of military action was imminent, spoke of the "huge and heavy responsibility" of sending British troops into action.

Mr Bush had already won the strong support of Saudi Arabia as he continued to build a coalition that includes pro-Western Arab states. Saud Al-Faisal, foreign minister, pledged to provide the US with "everything that is within our capacity to fight this scourge of terrorism".

Mr Bush has worked intensively to build international support this week, holding talks with President Jacques Chirac of France and President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia.

Mr Chirac said on Thursday that France and Britain would take part in any US military action provided they were consulted and the action was "appropriate and effective".

Additional reporting by Victor Mallet in Paris

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