BERLIN, Oct 7 (News Agencies) - As British Prime Minister Tony Blair addressed the U.K. concerning his country's participation in Sunday's attack on Afghanistan, Canada, Australia, Germany and France have pledged forces for further operations, U.S. President George W. Bush announced Sunday, news agencies reported.
"We are joined in this operation by our staunch friend, Great Britain. Other close friends, including Canada, Australia, Germany and France, have pledged forces as the operation unfolds," he said in a nationally televised address.
Bush forewarned Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin about attacks on Afghanistan only minutes before the strikes were unleashed, the Kremlin said Sunday, according to Interfax.
The German government said on Sunday it supported "without reservation" the U.S.-led attacks on "terrorist targets in Afghanistan", Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in a statement.
Schroeder said Bush informed him beforehand by telephone of the imminence of the attack.
Bush also contacted his French counterpart Jacques Chirac Sunday to tell him the United States was about to launch attacks on Afghanistan, Chirac's spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said.
Bush had called Chirac at 5:30 pm (1530 GMT) to tell him of the impending attacks, she said.
