Former Afghan King, Anti-Taliban Coalition Reach AccordFormer King of Afghanistan Mohammad Zahir Shah and the opposite Northern Alliance coalition reached an agreement on Monday on convening a grand council of Afghan leaders, attempting to oust the ruling Taliban from the country.During a meeting in Rome, where Shah has been living in exile since 1973, the two sides agreed to convene a meeting of leaders of the country's ethnic and tribal groups. "This is a new start for Afghanistan," said Yosnou Kanuni, representative of the Northern Alliance. Leaders of Afghan tribes which oppose the Taliban regime met in Rome on Saturday with Shah to illustrate their position in the confrontation between the Taliban and the United States as well as the need to topple the former. A spokesman for Zahir Shah explained that the ex-king " absolutely has no personal ambitions" in Afghanistan nor did he consider himself a "candidate" for a possible return of a monarchy there, although he has prepared for returning home. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |