The former king of Afghanistan has told a delegation of US congressmen that the fundamentalist Taliban could still play a role in a future coalition government in the country.
"He's left the door open at some point in time that even the Taliban, if it had a role to play, could be part of some eventual coalition government," said Republican Curt Weldon, chairman of the Armed Services Military Readiness subcommittee.
Former king Mohammed Zahir Shah, 86, told the delegation he did not want a US military assault on his country, but rather US assistance.
He indicated a preference for United Nations assistance, according to Weldon, leader of the 11-member US delegation, which also met Afghan military commanders Saturday and Sunday.
"The ex-king expressed his desire to have a UN sponsored effort take place to assist them,” Weldon told reporters at Ciampino Airport near Rome before the delegation left for further talks in Turkey aimed at security a multi-national alliance to fight terrorism.
"He (the ex-king) also left the door open that if the UN would not in fact come to support him, then the US-led delegation of Western nations would be more than welcome to assist him in allowing the Afghan people to do what is in all of our best interests, and that is to allow them to take back their country".
Washington has been building a broad multinational coalition of European, Asian and Arab states in what President George W. Bush has termed a "crusade against terrorism" in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Afghanistan, and its Taliban rulers -- sponsors of Osama bin Laden, chief suspect in the attacks -- has been identified as the country most likely to come under military attack as the US prepares its response -- ROME (AFP)
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