ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: The Afghan ambassador in Islamabad Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, while declining to meet the visiting special UN envoy on Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, has said that Taliban regime does not see any role left for him, “since he is here to serve the interests of the US and not the Afghans.”

Speaking at a crowded news conference, telecast live by CNN, he said, “I have declined an invitation by the UN envoy for a meeting called for Saturday, on directive from my government.” He added: “We have told him to refrain from entering Afghanistan for a scheme assigned to him by America.”

Zaeef said the UN had nothing to do with installing of governments but was mandated only to settle any problems that arise between member states. He regretted that the UN was keeping silence over the mass killings of innocent civilians including women, children and men, but was out to serve the interests of the US by working on a plan to impose a regime from outside on Afghanistan.

When asked for his comment on Pentagon’s plan of setting up a military base in north of Afghanistan, the Afghan envoy declared that the stubborn Afghan nation would never allow a US base on its soil.

He said that, so far, over 1,500 civilians had become victim of US air strikes which he termed “state terrorism”. According to a fresh report, scores of civilians were killed in a village near Jalalabad in the bombing around 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

A foreign journalist asked him as to how Taliban regime would combat a unified propaganda by the Western reporters gathered here, he said, “we are faced with a multi-faceted enemy, equipped with all the resources including the propaganda machine but we are determined not to waver.”

When an Arab reporter asked if there stood a chance of Taliban considering releasing eight westerners caught for preaching Christianity in the Islamic spirit of forgiveness and tolerance, the ambassador, in a light vein, replied, “I will convey your sentiments to the authorities concerned.”

Responding to a query as to how his government would react to the efforts spearheaded by Pakistan for replacing Taliban regime by a broad-based setup in Kabul, Zaeef said, “we will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal matters”.

He told a questioner that there was no fresh contact with Osama Bin Laden but “he was safe and sound.”

He did not confirm or deny the suggestion that Tajik, Uzbek forces were present in Afghanistan. He told a questioner that all the messages “have been conveyed to the French journalist” nabbed by Taliban authorities on illegal entry and now placed in Jalalabad.

About his meeting with the visiting UNHCR chief Ruud Lubbers, he said, “we have exchanged views on the humanitarian relief with him and told him that the process of foodstuff supplies be accelerated before the fast approaching winter.

“We have also assured our fullest cooperation to the international agencies in taking the relief goods to the places where these were needed.”

The US and allied forces were intentionally targeting civilians to create refugee influx panic among the Afghan masses and coerce them into rising against the government, the Afghan ambassador said in a written statement.

Those people killed in Afghanistan had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks. Britain and US were conspiring to capture Mazar-i-Sharif to perpetrate its hegemony through a setup which would culminate in the division of the country, he said.