Rohrabacher part of team to bring back Afghan king

Paul Clinton

COSTA MESA -- Joining a delegation of congressional leaders, a local

congressman traveled to Rome over the weekend to meet with exiled Afghan

King Mohammad Zahir Shah to convince him to return to his native country

to help restore peace.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the Huntington Beach lawmaker who also

represents Costa Mesa and parts of Newport Beach, praised the trip as a

successful step toward convincing Zahir Shah to lead opposition to the

Taliban regime.

“He’s an old man, but his mind is bright,” Rohrabacher said. “He’s

able to act as a figurehead.”

The 86-year-old Zahir Shah ruled over a period of relative peace in

the country, from 1933 to 1973, until he was overthrown.

Some U.S. leaders, a group Rohrabacher counts himself part of, hope

Zahir Shah can unify opposition to the Taliban and force out the

oppressive regime.

The meeting must have been a success.

On Monday, Zahir Shah announced he would join in forming a coalition

government to try to install a constitutional democracy in Afghanistan.

Rohrabacher’s fascination with Afghanistan goes back to his days, in

the mid-1980s, when he served as a speech writer for President Ronald

Reagan.

At the time, the height of the Cold War, the U.S. was supplying arms

and aid to the moujahedeen, Afghan rebels fighting the Soviet Union’s

military presence in the country.

Rohrabacher supported the moujahedeen as a way to “keep the spread of

communism from expanding,” said Ricardo Bernal, a spokesman for

Rohrabacher.

Shortly after his election to Congress in 1988, Rohrabacher traveled

to Afghanistan in secrecy. At the time, the newly elected congressman

spent five days with the moujahedeen, camping in ravines and witnessing

artillery fire.

Rohrabacher became the target of some criticism in 1990 when he

invited Afghan rebel leader Gen. Ramatullah Safi to participate in

Huntington Beach’s Fourth of July parade.

President Bush has been developing the country’s response to the Sept.

11 attacks. That response could come in the next few days, Rohrabacher

said.

Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, believed to be hiding out in Afghanistan,

has been linked to the terrorist attacks. It will be important not only

for the Bush administration to capture Bin Laden, but also to bring down

the Taliban regime, he said.

“We’ve got to act quickly,” Rohrabacher said. “I am very optimistic

that this can be done, that within 30 days of the decision the Taliban

can be gone and Bin Laden can be in chains.”

During the weekend trip, Rohrabacher said he also met with leaders of

the governments of Russia and Turkey.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .