Marines land in Afghanistan, launch hunt for bin Laden

Quickening the hunt for Osama bin Laden and top Taliban leaders, U.S. Marines landed Monday outside the southern city of Kandahar, the Associated Press reported.

The Taliban reportedly vowed anew to fight to the death to defend their last stronghold.

In newly captured Kunduz, victorious Northern Alliance troops arriving in the northern city fought off ambushes by Taliban stragglers--and shot and beat Taliban prisoners, leaving some wounded men to writhe in pain on the street under the gaze of curious crowds.

The Pentagon said five U.S. military troops were hurt today by friendly fire--a U.S. airstrike that went awry.

The deployment of Marines near Kandahar marks a perilous new phase of a conflict that until now had focused on U.S. airstrikes backing up the opposition Northern Alliance--plus limited ground missions by several hundred American special forces fanned out in small units across Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, President Bush on Monday warned Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to allow weapons inspectors back into his country.

Asked by reporters what the consequences would be if he refuses to do so, Bush said, "He'll find out." Later, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said the president's words were a "reaffirmation, a restatement of American policy," and not a shift in emphasis in the war on terrorism. "I urge you to understand this is a reiteration of what he has said about Iraq," Fleischer said.