Northern Alliance broke promise with the king by entering Kabul, king's aide says

The Associated Press 11/13/01 5:49 AM

ROME (AP) -- The Northern Alliance has broken a promise with Afghanistan's exiled king by entering Kabul, an aide to the monarch said Tuesday.

"I hope they only entered Kabul to maintain security and not to take over political power," said Hamid Sidig, an aide to former King Mohammad Zaher Shah.

Sidig said the promise was made when Northern Alliance representatives met with the king last month in Rome, where Zaher Shah has lived since he was ousted in 1973.

The anti-Taliban Northern Alliance entered the Afghan capital in the early hours Tuesday, with the Taliban ruling militia abandoning the capital without fighting.

The 87-year-old Zaher Shah is seen as a unifying figure in creating a transitional, post-Taliban government in Afghanistan. At the center of intense diplomatic activity since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, the monarch was set to meet with a top U.S. diplomat later Tuesday.

The diplomat, James F. Dobbins, is the top U.S. official in helping to fashion a post-Taliban regime.

Earlier this month, Zaher Shah and the opposition Northern Alliance struck a deal to form a council that would later call a national assembly in Afghanistan.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Answers

Y'all remember that very shortly before 9/11 (i.e., I don't consider it a coincidence) the leader of the N.A. was assassinated. I understood that the N.A. didn't have much focus after that. If whats- his-name were still alive and in charge, I think it might have been a bit different.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Yep. I think perhaps the Afghan representative here--forgot his name--might have been a good successor but everything is falling so fast there's been no time to get anyone over there. Despite the changing loyalties and--dare I say the word?--duplicity inherent in Afghan culture, let's hope a stable government can somehow come out of this. It has to.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

There were major meetings going on in Pakistan several weeks ago about what a new government could look like. I haven't heard anything about that outcome recently.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

Probly still forming committees. . .

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001

There were major meetings going on in Pakistan several weeks ago about what a new government could look like. I haven't heard anything about that outcome recently.

Well, let's see, how many people does a McDonalds have at the counter? And then there is the fryer person, the french fry/onion ring person, and the drive thru person, and someone to clean the bathrooms and the floors around the tables, etc.

It could take a while to set this up...

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2001