KABUL -- Afghan Defense Minister Mohammad Qasim Fahim played down on Saturday speculation of a rift with President Hamid Karzai which the United States feared could weaken the post-Taleban administration.

"I can explicitly say...that this issue is totally far from reality," the powerful minister told a news briefing. "I can assure (you) that in the cabinet and in particular between me and Karzai there is no difference and we have close and sincere working relations."

Foreign media reports had described a rupture in the Afghan cabinet between Karzai and his defense chief.

Fahim is believed to have been furious when Karzai asked U.S. special forces to provide him with personal guards instead of a team drawn from Fahim's Northern Alliance.

The men are also from different ethnic groups -- Fahim is Tajik and Karzai is a Pashtun -- which could intensify already deep suspicion and mistrust between the clans in Afghanistan.

In a sign of how worried the United States was over a possible split, its special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmai Khalilzad, travelled to Afghanistan this week especially to meet the men.

While playing down rumours of a split, he hinted that some kind of rift may have existed until recently.

Fahim also said he did not oppose the long-term presence of U.S. forces, following remarks from U.S. commander for Afghanistan General Tommy Franks that his troops would be in Afghanistan for years.

"Concerning the remarks of General Franks, I comment that still Al Qaeda and their bases exist in Afghanistan...and especially around the southern borders of Afghansitan.

"Any moment there is the possibility of destabilization of the situation and their attacks," he added.

Thousands of U.S. troops are still hunting for the remnants of the ousted Taleban and Al Qaeda network they sheltered. Al Qaeda, led by Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, is blamed for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

"Whenever we come to the conclusion jointly with the U.S. military that the danger of terrorism is annihilated altogether, I am certain that there will be no need felt for the presence of American soldiers," Fahim said. "The American forces spontaneously will deliver their bases to the national Afghan Army after it manages to stand on its feet...and they themselves will go back to their country."

Fahim told Reuters after the briefing that he believed Bin Laden and Mullah Omar, leader of the ousted Taleban, were alive. He did not say whether he knew where they were or on what evidence he based his assessment that they were still alive.