US President George W Bush has reiterated his warning to the Taliban the time is running out for them to hand over Osama bin Laden and members of his al Qaeda organisation.
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban is harbouring the Saudi-born dissident who is the chief suspect in the 11 September terrorist attacks on the United States.
In his weekly radio address President Bush said: "The Taliban has been given the opportunity to surrender all the terrorists in Afghanistan and to close down their camps and operations. Full warning has been given ... For those nations that stand with the terrorists, there will be a heavy price."
Neighbouring Pakistan, the only country to hold diplomatic ties with Afghanistan, echoed the US warning. A foreign ministry spokesman said that the Taliban knows what the international community expects of them. "If they decide to respond to what the international community wants ... it is to their advantage to do so," Riaz Mohammad Khan added.
Meanwhile, the United States has rejected the Taliban's offer to free eight foreign aid workers in exchange for an end to US threats against Afghanistan.
The eight were arrested last August on suspicion of spreading Christianity. The aid workers, with the German-based Shelter Now International relief agency, have denied the charges.
In a separate development, a Taliban defence ministry spokesman earlier confirmed that the Taliban militia fired missiles at a suspected US spy plane flying over the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The guns fired for fifteen minutes on two objects in the sky, but there was no indication that anything was hit. A Taliban Information Ministry said: "Missiles were fired at the plane and some fighters were even shooting their Kalashnikovs".
This latest move has fuelled speculation of a US military attack on Afghanistan. Earlier, United States plans to airdrop food supplies to the Afghan population were criticised by the Taliban. It said that all roads into Afghanistan are open to aid convoys. A Foreign Ministry statement described the airdrops as "propaganda" aimed at defusing the anger of the Afghan people against Washington.
Meanwhile, in what appeared to be a conciliatory gesture, the Taliban have said that they will release British journalist Yvonne Ridley. The British Sunday Express reporter was detained last week for entering the country illegally.
A British foreign office spokeswoman said: "Our high commissioner in Islamabad has spoken to the Taliban representative in Islamabad this afternoon, who said that Kabul has confirmed that she will be released". The spokeswoman added that they did not know when Ms Ridley would be released.
Ms Ridley was arrested near the city of Jalalabad after slipping over the border from Pakistan. The reporter's mother, 74-year-old Joyce Ridley, said: "I feel elated, it is such wonderful news."
