IRAN SAYS UN SHOULD BACK RABBANI INSTEAD OF ZAHER SHAH
TEHRAN 20 Nov. (IPS) As Iran confirmed Tuesday it had opened its embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabol, a senior Iranian official said that only the Islamic Government of Afghanistan could, "at present juncture" guarantee "a durable stability and security" to the Afghan people.
"A durable stability and security can only be guaranteed to the Afghan people at present juncture and all countries have the duty to help the legal and Islamic government of Afghanistan", Hojjatoleslam Hasan Rohani, the influential Secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security (SCNS) told the French Ambassador to Tehran, Mr. Francois Nichollaud, the pro-government official news agency IRNA reported.
"Without such a principle, peace, stability and security would not be restored in Afghanistan and may lead to ethnic conflicts", Mr. Rohani warned, reiterating Iran’s opposition to the "Zaher Shah" process, a formula backed by the United Nations, United States and its European allies for restoring peace and security to the war-ravaged Muslim country.
In the Iranians view, efforts to form a broad-based government, comprising all Afghan ethnic groups and parties should be "the next phase of international efforts", and the "materialization" of that goal would not be possible unless the present government of Afghanistan, which is led by president Borhaneddin Rabbani, is supported.
Mr. Borhaneddin Rabbani returned Sunday to Kabol five years after being booted out from the ruined city by the Taleban.
The Northern Alliance-led Islamic Government of Afghanistan, the only one recognised by the United Nations, was reduced by the Taleban to a tiny portion of the country near the borders with Tajikistan, but was able to recover eighty per cent of the Afghan territory from the Taleban in less than a week after the United States started bombing Taleban’s positions a month ago.
In the meeting with the French diplomat, Mr. Rohani also noted that it is now the time for all countries to carry out their humanitarian duty in Afghanistan and prepare the ground for repatriation of Afghan refugees, but did not mentioned obstacles created by the Islamic Government of Afghanistan for the NGO’s and humanitarian aid agencies as well as its growing opposition with the presence of foreign forces to keep peace and order in the war-shattered nation.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi confirmed on Tuesday that Iran's embassy in Kabul has started its activities "over the past few days".
Back to Afghanistan quagmire, the UN’s Special Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Tuesday that the United Nations could not satisfy demands made by Taleban leaders stranded in the northern city of Kondooz to surrender to the UN instead to the Northern Alliance.
But sources in Afghanistan said following general Abdol Rashid Dostom’s offer for "safe passage" for the Taleban against the peaceful surrender of the city, two senior Taleban commanders have decided to travel to Mazar Sharif and discuss their situation with him.
According to Mr. Dostom, some 10.000 Taleban, that includes a number of Chechen, Pakistani and Arab fighters as well are now besieged in Kondooz, with Northern Alliance’s heavy canons pointing at the city from surrounding hills. ROHANI AFQANESTAN 201101