US response Bush freezes 'terrorist' assets and warns banks US President George W. Bush signed an executive order freezing the assets of 27 individuals and organisations he said were linked to terrorists. |  Read California gives Marines a taste of things to come US Marines have begun to arrive for training at a Californian army base where the terrain is strikingly similar to Afghanistan’s. |  Read Security alert extends curbs on crop dusters US authorities have extended by another 24 hours flight restrictions on crop-dusting aircraft for "national security" reasons, after law enforcement authorities found a crop-dusting manual while searching the belongings of a suspected terrorist. |  Read Afghanistan to feel the brunt of first phase The US has made clear that Afghanistan would be the exclusive focus of the first phase of its war on terrorism as more of its forces moved into positions to mount strikes inside the country. |  Read Forces are on their way to battle stations The largest military build-up since the Gulf war in 1991 continued as the US positioned forces in readiness for strikes on Afghanistan. |  Read Stage is set for extensive use of special forces According to President George W. Bush, the US-led campaign against terrorism will include "covert operations secret even in success". |  Read Afghan warlords may weigh heavily in Iran's plans against Taliban The fate of Afghanistan has long been at the mercy of outside powers, through direct invasion or as sponsors of shifting alliances. |  Read Congress likely to back 'homeland security agency' The US Congress, taking the lead from President George W. Bush, is likely to back the establishment of a permanent cabinet-level 'homeland security agency' to co-ordinate US efforts to prevent terrorist attacks. |  Read US aircraft land in Uzbekistan Uzbek authorities confirmed to news agencies that US military aircraft had arrived in this ex-Soviet Central Asian republic. |  Read More US response articles Click here for further stories |  Read