Afghanistan would not allow its soil to be used as a base for foreign forces and such action would be a very serious problem, Engineer Arif, deputy chief of intelligence for the Northern Alliance, said.
"Our decision is that 15 of them can stay and the others go," he said referring to the 100 British troops.
Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah had already spoken with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and more talks were expected between the two sides later yesterday with a decision expected by the end of the day.
Diplomatic sources admitted the apparent communications breakdown was worrying, with growing signs of tensions between the different ethnic groups that make up the alliance.
A Taliban official confirmed yesterday that terrorist leader Mohammed Atef was killed along with seven other al-Qaeda members in a US attack three days ago.
He also said bin Laden was alive.
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