Meetings held concurrently in Rome and Cyprus ended last week, with organisers expressing hopes to see the Assembly take place inside Afghanistan, and this despite the opposition to the projects by the Taleban who control more than 90 per cent of the Afghan territory.

He acknowledged that for the time being, constitution of such an Extraordinary Loya Jirgah was not an easy task and added that one of the aims of the meeting was to address these difficulties and the ways to overcome them.

As he expressed satisfaction from the contacts established so far between members of the project and international communities, particularly the United Nations and described the international conditions favourable to the creation of an Extraordinary Loya Jirgah, informed afghan sources doubted Mr. Rasul’s optimism.

According to Afghan sources, while the Rome-based project for Loya Jirgah, or the traditional Grand Assembly of Elders is supported by the European Union, the other track that is based in Cyprus is formed of former Mujahedeen groups close to former Prime minister Gulbudin Hekmatyar and backed by Iran and Saudi Arabia.

So far, they said, the United Nations nor the United States have not taken side for either projects, "as they form two different tracks, methods and approach to peace".

"It is too early to talk about a new beginning, specially in a situation where there is no a military balance on the terrain. The projects leaders only hope is to see a situation like in Kosovo or former East Timor develops for Afghanistan, with the West putting enough pressure on Pakistan to give green light to the Loya Jirga project as an alternative. For the time being, Pakistan has no reason to change its policy towards Taleban, as it has turned Afghanistan into its backyard, presenting the same link as the one exist between Lebanon with Syria", the Afghan analyst pointed out.

He described the case of Osama Bin Laden an issue to be solved between the Taleban and the United States by peaceful negotiations.

United Nations imposed sanctions on the Taleban, including ban on Taleban senior officials to travel abroad and closing their offices in other countries, after they refused to hand over the Saudi militant whom the Americans accuse of the twin bombing of their embassies in Kenya and in Tanzania.

"Now that sanctions against Taleban are enforced, we hope to make new efforts with the Afghan government and find ways to prevent further pressures on both the government and the Afghan people in the one hand and by adopting an active policy aimed at encouraging international community to continue their humanitarian aid and lower pressure on Afghanistan on the other".

Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Riaz Mohammad said Pakistan would do its best to persuade Taleban to accept UN’s proposals, reiterating that Islamabad policy towards Taleban has not been changed

Taleban’s ambassador in Pakistan Mollah Abdolsalam Za’if said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to open talks with the new US Administration, as it had with previous ones, "but, he added, the problem is that Washington has not responded to any of our three proposals concerning Bin Laden Issue, only urging us to hand him over to them. They also must take into consideration our traditions and honour", he said.

The Taleban say Osama is a guest in Afghanistan, against whom Washington has failed to furnish evidence concerning his alleged involvement in terrorist activities.