Afghan king backs right to justice

ROME -- Afghanistan's former king said Sunday he recognized the "legitimate right" of the United States to pursue those responsible for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks but urged that innocents be spared in the U.S. strikes on his homeland.

In a statement issued by his office, former King Mohammad Zaher Shah, who has been working to select a new government for Afghanistan, said his paramount objective was the safety and dignity of Afghans and the integrity of the country.

"Unfortunately, the unpatriotic position of the Taliban and their sponsors has again inflicted pain, sorrow and destruction on the people of Afghanistan," the statement said.

The statement was issued hours after the United States and Britain launched a missile attack targeting Osama bin Laden and his Taliban backers.

"Although we recognize the United States' legitimate right to pursue and seek justice against those who perpetrated the criminal acts of Sept. 11, our paramount objective is the safety, integrity and dignity of the Afghan nation and the Afghan territory," the statement said.

"We urge the United States and its allies to respect the territorial integrity of Afghanistan and the safety and the life of our innocent people."

"Furthermore, the Afghan nation must be given the right and the opportunity to determine its political future according to its free will," the statement concluded.

Zaher Shah, 86, ruled Afghanistan for 40 years until his 1973 ouster by a cousin. He has lived in exile in Rome ever since, but is still fondly remembered in Afghanistan for the relative peace and prosperity that flourished during his rule.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Afghans and outsiders have looked to Zaher Shah as the only Afghan who might be able to unify Afghanistan's many ethnic and religious groups.