WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. charge d'affaires in Rome, William Pope, met the former king of Afghanistan near Rome on Tuesday ``to assess the situation in Afghanistan,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. (Read photo caption below)
The meeting was one of many contacts the United States has initiated with Afghan groups and individuals since it identified Saudi Arabian-born militant Osama bin Laden as its prime suspect in Sept. 11 suicide hijack attacks on New York and Washington.
The 86-year old former king Mohammad Zahir Shah was deposed in a coup in 1973. He said in an interview published on Monday he was ready to return to his country if he could be of use.
Last week he appealed for an emergency assembly of representatives from all Afghan groups to elect a head of state and set up a transitional government.
Boucher said: ``We do have regular contacts with the former king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah, and other Afghan expatriate groups in coordination with the United Nations. ... So today the charge of our embassy in Rome met with the king to assess the situation in Afghanistan.'' He declined to elaborate.
The previous two meetings with the former king were in September and December 2000, the State Department said.
The meeting meshed with U.S. statements indicating an interest in using the internal politics of the troubled country as a lever for capturing bin Laden and breaking up the al Qaeda network which he is thought to lead.
Earlier on Tuesday, at an appearance with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, President Bush called on Afghan citizens disenchanted with Taliban rule to help the United States in its bid to capture bin Laden.
PHOTO CAPTION:
The United Nations envoy to Afghanistan said September 23, 2001 that he thought the country's ex-king could play a vital role in uniting the Afghan people behind a new government and restoring peace to their ravaged homeland. The former Afghan monarch Mohammad Zahir Shah(R)is seen with his grandson Mostapha Zaher prior to his meeting with U.N. envoy Francesc Vendrell in Rome. (Antonio Denti/Reuters)