|
|
|
150,000 People
|
Ex-Afghan King, Anti-Taliban Forces Reach Agreement Monday October 1 The ex-king of Afghanistan has reached an agreement with the opposition Northern Alliance aimed at ousting the Taliban rulers in Kabul, the two sides said on Monday. Under the terms of the accord, the anti-Taliban coalition called for the convening of a traditional grand council of Afghan leaders. This council would then convene a so-called Loya Jirga, made up of representatives of all of Afghanistan's ethnic and tribal groupings. It was not immediately clear when or where the Loya Jirga would take place or whether it was dependent on the Taliban being ousted from power. The parties said in a statement that the Loya Jirga would elect a head of state and transitional government. Western diplomats say that ex-king Mohammad Zahir Shah, who has lived in Italy in exile since 1973, is the only figure with the authority to assemble a broad anti-Taliban front. The Northern Alliance is the main force still fighting the Kabul regime and controls under 10 percent of Afghan territory. Afghan opposition backs former king A spokesman for the former king of Afghanistan, Mohammed Zahir Shah, says his supporters and the opposition Northern Alliance have agreed on the establishment of new supreme and military councils to combat the Taleban. The outline agreement was reached at a meeting in Rome, the spokesman said, and details will be finalised at another meeting scheduled for 1500 on Saturday (1300 GMT). The new councils would be set up under Zahir Shah's authority and prominent people inside and outside Afghanistan would be invited to participate, the spokesman told the French AFP news agency. The military council "will lay the foundation for a national security force in Afghanistan," according to a statement from the former king's office. "Maybe something positive will come for Afghanistan out of a tragedy," said the Zahir Shah's 37-year-old grandson, Mostapha. The head of the Northern Alliance delegation, Mohammed Younus Qanooni, said on Friday that the US threat to retaliate against the Taleban for hiding Osama Bin Laden, the prime suspect in the attacks against the US, had unified the various groups opposing the Taleban. Speaking after initial meetings with the former king's advisers, Mr Qanooni said the US would benefit by helping the alliance financially, politically and militarily. "One of the practical ways to get rid of terrorism is to help us in this matter," Mr Qanooni said. Taleban dismiss king's return The leader of the ruling Taleban movement Mullah Mohammed Omar has dismissed the Northern Alliance campaign to return former king Zahir Shah to power. "A ruler who is brought in from outside will not last and the future of the Taleban will be bright with the help of God," he told the Iranian daily Entekhab. He added that the 86-year-old Shah, who has indicated his willingness to return to the country after being deposed in a Soviet-backed 1973 coup, would not be able to take the place of the Taleban "due to physical weakness." |
If you had died in the attack of September 11, where would you have gone?The content of this web site is provided for informational purposes only. If you discover that any pieces posted to this site are inaccurate or copyrighted, please contact us immediately. Last modified: 10/05/05Site created by Daniel Bartsch |
