THE Afghan regime will today decide whether to surrender the Saudi-born dissident, Osama bin Laden, after stalling for 24 hours, having conceded for the first time its ''guest'' may have masterminded the terrorist attacks in America.

However, the Taliban rulers also called for volunteers to fight in a ''jihad'', or holy war, if the US attacked.

Tony Blair said international support for the US war on terrorism was snowballing, at the end of a hectic day of diplomacy aimed at creating the broadest possible coalition against those behind the attacks.

In the Middle East, a unilateral ceasefire was declared, removing one of the biggest obstacles to the international alliance against terrorism. It will allow America to move to the next stage of its military preparations. Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian president, announced the unprecedented truce by ordering his security forces not to fire on Israeli troops, even in self-defence. Israel immediately responded by promising not to launch attacks on Palestinians.

Welcoming the news, a White House spokesman said: ''The president has called on all parties to seize this moment and do everything possible in the wake of this attack on the US to move forward with the peace process in the Middle East.''

As the Taliban regime postponed its decision on bin Laden, the Bush administration said handing over the prime suspect would not in itself be enough to stop a military response against terrorists and those who sheltered them.

Donald Rumsfeld, US defence secretary, reinforced the point: ''Clearly you begin on a journey with one step, and he would be one step. If bin Laden were not there, the organisation would continue doing what it's been doing ... the problem is much bigger ... bin Laden is one person who is unambiguously a terrorist. The Al Qaeda network is a broad, multi-headed organisation with a presence in 50 to 60 countries.''

As America and the UK stepped up its military presence in the region, all indications suggested they were treating the Taliban's delay as a ruse to stave off military action rather than an acceptance that it could no longer protect bin Laden.

As well as the jihad call, some Taliban leaders said they would never agree to bin Laden's extradition to the US, and would surrender him only to a ''more neutral country'', where he would be tried by Islamic judges.

Qudrutullah Jamal, the Taliban's information minister said: ''Anyone who is responsible for this act, Osama or not, we will not side with him,'' conceding for the first time that bin Laden may have been involved. Aziz al-Rahman, the Taliban's representative in the United Arab Emirates, said if evidence emerged against bin Laden, he would be tried in their own courts.

Earlier, there were emotional scenes around the world, as world leaders, families, friends and rescue workers observed a minute's silence for those killed.

President Bush, First Lady Laura and Dick Cheney, the vice president, stood in the Rose Garden at the White House, while rescue workers at ''Ground Zero'' downed tools, to remember the almost 6000 people dead or missing.

Rudolph Giuliani, New York's mayor, said the chances of recovering anyone alive was virtually non-existent.

Mr Blair embarked on a round of shuttle diplomacy talks in a bid to galvanise support. Last night he delivered an upbeat assessment of his progress. ''The coalition is strengthening. I think the strength of feeling is gathering momentum.''

Thousands of Afghans continued to try to flee their country as a delegation of Pakistani leaders, who had issued a blunt order for the Taliban to extradite bin Laden or face certain attack, returned home. President Pervez Musharraf is due to address the nation today.

The Bank Of England followed American and European central banks in announcing a cut in interest rates, reducing them by 0.25% to their lowest level in nearly 40 years.