March 28, 2002	Thursday	Muharram 13, 1423

WASHINGTON, March 27: Former King Zahir Shah’s departure from Rome to Kabul was apparently put off following a conversation between President George Bush and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday.

It is unclear what actually transpired in the telephone conversation between the two leaders, but reports published here on Wednesday suggest that the United States was worried about the security situation in Kabul and feared for the life of the former king.

The Washington Post speculated in a dispatch from Rome that Bush had asked the Italians to provide bodyguards for Zahir Shah during his visit to Kabul, apparently disowning any America responsibility for the 87-year-old ex-monarch’s safety. The paper also said there were threats to the life of Zahir Shah from his opponents in the Northern Alliance.

The New York Times has not referred to the Northern Alliance dimension, but agreed that American reluctance to provide security for the former king set off a chain of events that led him to postpone his return to his homeland after 29 years in exile.

A senior State Department official, asked by Dawn to comment on the reports, said he would not say that the threat to Zahir Shah came from the Northern Alliance, but pointed out that Afghanistan continued to be a dangerous place.

The senior official said the United States had remained in constant touch with the former king’s party and Italian authorities, with a number of issues being raised during discussions, including security concerns.

The NY Times said an Afghan official, who insisted on anonymity, indicated that Italy had decided it needed more time to make the necessary arrangements for the former king’s visit after talking to the US.