We must not be impatient for news of success

In one important sense at least, the principals in the alliance against Mr bin Laden and his murderous cranks have pursued a credible and encouraging course, despite the difficulties.

Politically, it is clear that they are wedded to the formation of a coalition of the several groups opposed to the Taliban. Ministers and ambassadors now talking to these bodies are not going to accept the installation of an American or UN high commission to which Afghan chiefs supplicate for money while ignoring their authority in matters of government.

American bombers are now involved in operations which, among other things, show that these indigenous forces are ready to soften up and suppress the Taliban forces which Afghan troops will, in due course, overcome. Intelligence gathering, it may be assumed, is flourishing.

Inevitably, however, this activity does not suit the appetite of the public and the media for information. The bombers return with much the same to report each day. Government briefers have often been told that troops are about to enter operations in Afghanistan but each day brings the news that they are on the threshold, where they stood yesterday.

But is everything slowing to a halt? The question is asked with increasing anxiety. Were all the Bush and Blair declarations so much wind past the ear, as the Chinese say? Well, the flow of hard – but fragmentary – evidence does not suggest that the strategy is collapsing.

American and British negotiators will have told Afghan groups that commitment to a working coalition is a prerequisite for bringing about the Taliban's defeat. They probably expected to find that this was already apparent to their Afghan friends, but it is likely that the commitment was too binding for these groups, who are used to shifting alliances twice in an afternoon. This will take some time and much skill to accomplish.

Meanwhile, America and Britain have a military reserve well able to benefit from the bombing themselves or to carry forward interventions of their own. These options lie with a range of special forces, American and British. Their numbers are few but they have the skills and resources to help. The Taliban will not feel as easy as the number and versatility of special forces expands.

Why aren't they putting in their speciality numbers now? Security is the first reason. Their success depends on security and a military task organised to the last detail. It may be that ,at this stage, there are natural inhibitions. The dreaded possibility of body bags weighs on the leaders as does the danger of the wounded falling into Taliban hands. One element of this group has a motto offering valuable advice: "Who dares, wins.''

President and Prime Minister have reminded society that counter-attack is the only acceptable course in this unique case. We have no reason to believe that the objective in Afghanistan will not be realised. The interests of security must prevail in the belief that it will in time bring the Allies good news.

Anthony Farrar-Hockley is a former commander-in-chief of the Nato forces in Northern Europe