The vast majority of people in Wales are in favour of the action

Dr John Ball, Plaid member

However, Mr Morgan has defended the right of party leaders to make such comments.

"The problem is that you obviously can't clue up every party and party leader on what you are doing."

"The job of the opposition parties is to push and probe."

On Tuesday, Mr Jones had called for an end to the attacks and the resumption of diplomatic negotiations, over fears of a 'humanitarian' disaster.

The comments made Plaid the first UK parliamentary party to break the political consensus on support for the attacks.

But Dr Ball, who recently stood for the party in the Swansea East by-election, disagreed.

He said: "The vast majority of people in Wales - whom Plaid Cymru says it represents - are in favour of the action taken by the United States against the Taleban."

Some support

Plaid's outspoken criticism of the attacks has gained support from some politicians.

On Wednesday, Denzil Davies, Llanelli MP and former Labour Defence Minister, agreed that Plaid might be right in saying that there was no need for further bombing raids.

He said: "There is a possibility that bombing could come to an end in the next day or two because there are no more targets left to bomb."

"I don't think that there is anything more that you can bomb in Afghanistan."

Party line

Plaid had previously welcomed the US and UK attacks on Taleban and al-Qaeda military targets and training camps in what has been dubbed a "war on terrorism."

But, on Tuesday, Mr Jones said action against terrorism in response to the attacks on Washington and New York City should be carried out by the United Nations.

Ieuan Wyn Jones said the strikes should be halted

Mr Jones said: "We believe that the UK and US governments should desist from further bombing strikes to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid on a massive scale and to make possible further intensive diplomatic efforts to persuade those shielding terrorists to hand them over.

"The ordinary people of Afghanistan, who have already suffered appalling hardship as a result of the civil war which has ravaged their country, are now facing a further humanitarian disaster of unimaginable proportions."

'Enduring Freedom'

Mr Jones was speaking on the third day of military action, under the auspices of Operation Enduring Freedom, designed to cut back defence capabilities of the Taleban regime and the terrorist network of Osama Bin Laden.

Speaking as the strikes were launched on Sunday, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said the three-pronged mission would include humanitarian aid drops, as well as bombing and diplomatic efforts.

But the Plaid leader said continued attacks would destabilise an Allied-Muslim coalition beginning to feel the heat from groups of Islamic anti-military protestors in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Elfyn Llwyd advised caution on the attacks

Mr Jones said: "The current escalation in military action will bring untold misery to innocent Afghanis and compound what is an already widespread belief in the Muslim world that this is an attack on the people of Afghanistan.

Earlier in the week, comments from Plaid Cymru's parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd MP signalled a break in the political consensus which has supported the strikes.

When parliament was recalled on Monday, he told the Commons he supported Tony Blair over the strikes but made a concerted call for caution to avoid civilian casualties and a humanitarian tragedy.