Military

DATE=4/18/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=AFGHANISTAN / KING (L)

NUMBER=2-288853

BYLINE=ALISHA RYU

DATELINE=KABUL

INTERNET=

CONTENT=

VOICED AT=

INTRO: Afghanistan's deposed king, Mohammed Zahir Shah, arrived in his

homeland Thursday after nearly three decades in exile in Italy. As V-O-A's

Alisha Ryu reports from the Afghan capital, Kabul, the former king now faces

the burden of restoring unity to a country that has known nothing but war

and civil strife during his absence.

TEXT: A C-130 military transport plane made a graceful landing at Kabul

airport Thursday -- signaling the end of Zahir Shah's 29-year exile.

An honor guard stood in front of hundreds of supporters and foreign

dignitaries. They clapped as the 87 year-old ex-monarch stepped off the

plane ahead of his entourage of about 20 people -- including members of his

family as well as Afghan interim leader Hamid Karzai. Mr. Karzai and seven

ministers had traveled to Rome Tuesday to escort the former king back to

Afghanistan.

Zahir Shah shook hands and hugged some of his supporters before he left in a

motorcade to take up residence in his new home in Kabul. Heavy security

followed him from the airport as hundreds of Afghan police and well-armed

international peacekeepers watched his every move.

Thirty-three year-old Rena Amiri was one of several women -- dressed in

brightly colored outfits -- who welcomed the king home at the airport. Her

family fled Kabul in 1973 -- right after Zahir Shah was deposed by his cousin

in a palace coup. She grew up in the United States, but chose to come back

to Afghanistan after learning the ex-king would return to preside over the

opening of the Loya Jirga.

The Loya Jirga -- a grand tribal council meeting -- will select the next

transitional government and is the second to the last step in the country's

efforts to become a democratic nation. Ms. Amiri says she is sure Zahir

Shah's presence will have a unifying effect throughout Afghanistan.

/// AMIRI ACT ///

I think it's a real symbol of peace and hope for us. We are looking for

markers -- to show that we are moving forward -- and the king coming back

signifies that we really are moving forward in terms of the peace process.

That is the hope he brings for us.

/// END ACT ///

Peace is still elusive in Afghanistan where the United States and its

coalition partners are still battling remnants of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida

network and its Taleban supporters. Zahir Shah's return had been repeatedly

delayed last month because of reports of death threats against him by

opponents of the Loya Jirga.

In the southern city of Kandahar Wednesday, four Canadian soldiers were

killed and eight wounded in a tragic accident. A U-S F-16 fighter jet

mistakenly dropped one to two 225 kilogram bombs on the soldiers during a

live-fire training exercise. It was the first Canadian deaths in an

offensive combat operation since the Korean War. (Signed)

NEB/AR/RH