Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, has said that the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington create a new benchmark by which the US will measure its allies. Just as Washington's relations with other states duringthe cold war were determined by their alignment towards the Soviet Union, so the US will now judge nations by how fiercely they oppose international terrorism. This tilt of the prism could lead to some surprising - and potentially disturbing - new alignments.

So far, the US has done an impressive job in marshalling international support. It is now trying to court the countries near Afghanistan, including Pakistan, Russia, and China, which Washington has previously accused of giving succour to rogue states. The US is also trying to win support from the five former Soviet central Asian states. All these countries realise that they have a common interest in pre-empting terrorism in a world in which every commercial airliner has been turned into a potential bomb. But some may also see domestic tactical advantages in backing any forthcoming US offensive.

In prosecuting its new war against terrorism the US must therefore be careful not to align itself too closely with authoritarian regimes that have dreadful records of suppressing minority groups. An anti-terrorist campaign must never be used as a convenient excuse for repressing political opponents or turned into an anti-Muslim crusade.

Focus on Pakistan
The immediate focus is on Pakistan, which is one of the few countries to recognise the Taliban leadership in neighbouring Afghanistan. As it shelters an estimated 2m Afghan refugees, Pakistan well knows the tragedies of its troubled neighbour. The US provided strong support to Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan but has since distanced itself from the military regime of General Pervez Musharraf. Washington continues to uphold sanctions against Pakistan first imposed after Islamabad exploded a nuclear bomb. It has also expressed concern that Pakistan supports militants in Kashmir.

Co-operation with US
In spite of the presence of Muslim extremists within Pakistan, Gen Musharraf can doubtless see the advantages of co-operating with the US. But he will, in turn, surely expect the US to legitimise his regime and help persuade the International Monetary Fund to release fresh funds for Pakistan. He may also want foreign powers to tone down their criticisms of his military rule and quietly forget about his promises to restore democracy by October 2002. Washington should resist making such explicit trade-offs.

The US may also see the Shanghai grouping of central Asian states - including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan - as natural allies in its war against Muslim terrorists. This grouping is already swapping intelligence and considering security arrangements to combat extremism.

China fears that Muslim extremism could infect its western province of Xinjiang. Russia is fighting Muslim opponents in Chechnya and Tajikistan. To varying degrees, the central Asian states are all concerned that Muslim militants could undermine their own regimes. But many of these countries are characterised by blatant abuse of minority rights and hostility towards the Muslim opposition.

President George W. Bush has made a commendably forthright defence of Arab Americans. He should be equally strong in support of peacefully oriented Muslims throughout central Asia. In a traditional war the enemies of your enemies may be counted as your friends. But Mr Bush has launched a new kind of war for justice that ultimately can only succeed by winning over hearts and minds.

The US should be as steadfast in its defence of Muslim moderates as it is ferocious in attacking terrorism. The natural allies of the US in central Asia may be counted more among its peoples rather than its regimes.