European governments threw their weight on Sunday behind US-led attacks on Afghanistan unleashed in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks which devastated the United States.
In London Downing Street said British troops were involved in the air and missile attacks, as the US-led war against terrorism escalated to military strikes.
In a nationally televised address as explosions rocked the Afghan capital Kabul, US President George W. Bush said "We are joined in this operation by our staunch friend, Great Britain."
"Germany and France, have pledged forces as the operation unfolds."
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in a statement that Germany supported the attacks "without reservation" and said Bush had informed him beforehand by telephone of the imminence of the attack.
The statement said Schroeder "once again assured the US President of Germany's unconditional solidarity with the United States of America" and that Bush had thanked the chancellor "for the German position".
A spokeswoman for French President Jacques Chirac, Catherine Colonna, said he had also been contacted by Bush to say the US was about to launch the attacks.
On Friday night, the French president held a special meeting with Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, Defense Minister Alain Richard and Foreign Affairs Minister Hubert Vedrine, the spokeswoman added.
In Moscow, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been warned about the attacks only minutes before the strikes were unleashed, according to Interfax.
The United States had vowed to attack the Taliban regime in Afghanistan unless it handed over Islamic militant Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network, wanted for the September 11 terrorist onslaught on the United States.
In Brussels, Belga news agency said Bush gave advance word to the 15-nation European Union of the attacks.
It said Bush had contacted EU foreign policy high representative Javier Solana that the attacks would go ahead, and that Solana relayed the message Sunday afternoon to the Belgian government.
Belgium holds the rotating presidency of the 15-nation European Union.
The Belgian EU presidency was to issue a statement later Sunday in reaction to the US-led attacks, officials in Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's office said.
Ahead of the widely expected US attack, the 19-nation NATO military alliance had backed the US, saying that an attack on one NATO member was an attack on all -- PARIS (AFP)
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