For the first time in two decades the former king of Afghanistan was able to muster political resolve by organizing teams to conduct talks with the United States and the United Nations last week.

The delegation, which visited the United States, was headed by Sultan Mahmoud Ghazi, the former king's cousin and included as members Dr. Zalmai Rasool, Ms. Rona Yousuf Mansoori, Hamid Karzai and Dr. Mohammad Ishaq Naderi.

The delegation met with two high-ranking State Department officials to explain the Rome initiative of the former king for convening of a Loya Jirga or the Grand National Assembly to the government of the United States. Thomas Pickering the US Undersecretary for State and Karl Inderfurth Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia received the delegation. Another delegation was sent to the United Nations under Hidayat Amin Arsala to do the same.

Preliminary reports by the delegations state that the meetings were positive and interesting. It was also reported that Thomas Pickering said his government welcomes initiatives that seek a peaceful solution of the Afghan issue providing for the creation of a representative government. The United Nations Secretary General also has consistently welcomed any peaceful solution. It was further stated that the delegations sought material and political help for the implementation of the initiative and that the US side showed willingness to consider rendering of needed help. It was also reported that Mr. Pickering encouraged the delegations to contact the warring factions inside the country and other interested parties outside.

The former king's plan calls for contacts with other interested parties and countries as well. These include the warring factions inside the country and Afghanistan's neighbors including Iran, Pakistan and former Central Asian Soviet Republics as well as Japan, Russia and some European countries. As is evident this is a large-scale activity. These latter contacts do not seem as easy either.

Compare the above with the visit paid recently by Mr. Jareer and Jalil Shams of the Cyprus initiative for the same purpose to the United States and their declaration that their meetings with US officials were positive. The Cyprus initiative too, calls for the convening of a Loya Jirga for finding of a lasting solution to the Afghan problem. However, it relies only on the fact that any political solution should have the support of both the Taleban and their opponents namely the Northern Alliance and Afghanistan's immediate neighbors and especially Iran and Pakistan.

The flurry of activities regarding Afghanistan is not confined to the Afghan groups, namely the former king and the organizers of the Cyprus movement. Both of the high ranking US officials Mr. Pickering the Undersecretary of State and Mr. Karl Inderfurth, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs have planned visits to the region and beyond which involves discussing the Afghan issue. Mr. Pickering is to visit India and Pakistan and Mr. Inderfurth is to visit Ankara and Moscow.

Last week's visit to the Central Asian Republics by the President of Russia also points to the Russian fears emanating from the situations in Afghanistan and its political interests vis-à-vis Afghanistan.

These activities also show the revival of the strategic importance of Afghanistan, which was ignored by the United States immediately after the end of the cold war and the expulsion of the Soviet forces from Afghanistan. This renewed interest stems from world fear of terrorism, opium trafficking and Islamic extremism. Regional and global rivalries are also involved. Furthermore the economic considerations after the independence of the Central Asian Republics and the enormous natural resources of the area raise Afghanistan's importance especially to the US. Another rather very important consideration by the United States is its demand from Taleban to hand over Osama the son of Laden.

It is under these conditions that the Afghan political chess game is replayed and perhaps one of the last pieces namely the king is being played with some degree of caution this time. The success of these endeavors however depends on multiple factors. Most difficult one would be securing the agreement of the Taleban with the plan. Taleban have consistently rejected any role for the former king. Furthermore they have on several occasions stated that neither the issue of leadership nor the type of the Islamic government they have introduced are open for discussion. This therefore is in sharp contrast with the very liberal proposals in relation to the Rome and Cyprus initiatives. Another important hurdle is the need for reconciliation of the Rome and Cyprus initiatives. The latter provides indirectly for reentry into power structure of the Mujahideen groupings. And this is not what the Afghan nation would readily accept. Both Iran and Pakistan have in the past showed reluctance about agreeing to a role for the former king of Afghanistan, who has throughout refrained from direct talks with these two countries. A few years ago Abdul Wali another cousin and son-in-law of the former king visited Pakistan and received many influential Afghans living both inside Afghanistan and in Pakistan. At that time, the former king announced with great pomp and pleasure the success achieved by his envoy for securing support to his benevolent plans for peace. But it seems that that effort was left open ended without any further follow up and the whole process was let to die out. No reason was ever published for the demise of that effort by the former king's office.

On the other hand, if the recent visit by the king's delegations could muster real support of the United States executive officials and some members of its Congress, winning over the support of the UN would not be very difficult. Support for any initiative by the United States would make its implementation easier as this superpower has enormous influence in the United Nations and especially its Security Council. It can exert pressure on the regional governments as well to provide for the creation of a government of the choice of the people in Afghanistan. 05/19/2000