Elan Steinberg, executive director of the World Jewish Congress, which is based in New York, said he welcomed the British move as a "very forward-looking initial step."

I'd like to welcome change, I'd like to welcome a step when it is taken, but what it fully means we aren't in a position to say yet.

They talked about the possibility of having a get-together with some of their neighbors, a rap session to wake them to the more active role they could play in the town's life; but they agreed that the women they had met seemed unlikely to welcome even so small a step toward liberation.

Wythenshawe) welcomed a step forward for the victims of a 'huge and vile swindle'.

She said she welcomed such a step toward putting a stop to violence stemming from racial or other bias.

"The quartet welcomes and encourages such a step, which should provide a rare moment of opportunity in the search for peace in the Middle East," their statement added.

First of all I would like to welcome such a great step towards the right direction of bringing peace and stability to Somalia AND I hope more than anything else that it will be successful.

The people of Europe would welcome such a step and we should seize this opportunity.

In addition to Mr. Karzai, warlords in Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Jalalabad have told American officials that they would welcome such a step.