HAMID KARZAI SAYS FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM WOULD GO TO THE END
PARIS 19 Dec. (IPS) Hamid Karzai, the new interim prime Minister of Afghanistan pledged Tuesday to put an "end to terrorism" and said there would be "no mercy" for Osama Ben Laden, the leader of "Al Qa’eda" terrorist organisation, believed to be behind the 11 September attack on America.
Speaking to reporters in Rome after meeting with former Afghan King Mohammad
Zaher Shah, Mr. Karzai also welcomed an international security force for his
country until a national army and police force could take over.
"I want to have him (the fugitive Ben Laden) arrested for the suffering terrorists have made to our people", he said, adding: "I am determined to get rid of the terrorists, not only in Afghanistan but also in the rest of the world."
He said while the Arabs and other foreign nationals prisoners fighting in Al Qa’eda would be dealt an Islamic justice, Ben Laden must be handed over to an international court of justice.
The 87-year-old ex-monarch is due to return to his homeland at No Rooz, the beginning of Afghans new year falling on 21 March, to open the post-Taleban’s first Loya Jirga, or assembly of elders.
Zahir Shah has taken a leading role in the effort to re-unite the Afghan nation torn apart by incessant conflict since the beginning of the decade-long Soviet occupation in 1979.
As if to underscore the importance of the moment, Zaher Shah stepped outside the heavily guarded home to make a rare appearance before media. "I gave him (Karzai) a lot of advice on a lot of things, including on how to lead the country", the former Monarch said.
Four Afghan groups that met in the former German capital Bonn last month nominated Mr. Karzai, a 43-year-old ethnic Pashtoon from southern Afghanistan, as interim Prime Minister. His 30-member administration that includes two women is scheduled to take power Saturday 22 December.
"A new reign of peace must now be brought to Afghanistan. "Warlordism and the rule of the gun must end in Afghanistan", Mr. Karzai said, adding that he welcomed the creation of a multinational security keeping for Afghanistan, overriding reluctance by some officials, notably the Interim Defence Minister General Mohammad Qasem Fahim, who wants the force be limited to 1,000 soldiers only.
But Karzai said he would be "happy with any number that makes this task beneficial for Afghanistan.
"Peacekeeping forces in my opinion is a gesture of political support of the international community to the sovereignty of Afghanistan", he said, defaulting some Afghan officials who want all foreign forces leave the country as soon as possible.
However, he too made it clear that such a force was a "temporary measure" until Afghanistan's government was able to put in place its own army and police force.
Mr Karzai, who was on his first foreign and European visit since he became interim Premier had earlier in the day met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who said Italy would help rebuild Afghanistan's Radio-Television station in the capital Kabol as it would help "the diffusion of liberty and of democratic values".
Italy is the main driving force promoting Zaher Shah, who lives in Rome ever since he had been toppled in 1976 from the Afghan throne. ENDS KARZAI ZAHER SHAH 191201