thr 036                                                               


Press-Afghanistan-War /POL/                                           


   Afghanistan welcomes outside contributions to end conflict        


Tehran, Sept 27, IRNA -- Afghan Foreign Minister Abdul Abdullah said  


he welcomes outside contributions to end hostilities in Afghanistan   


in case the future of this nation is to be decided by its people.     


    In an interview with the English-language daily `Iran News'       


published Thursday, he said: "Our intention is to achieve peace in    


Afghanistan and entrust the public to determine their own fate,"      


adding "We are in touch with all the factions in the country who      


strive for peace in Afghanistan."                                     


    Abdullah, who is the country's foreign minister in the Islamic    


Government of Burhanuddin Rabbani, further stressed that the fate of  


the Afghan nation must be determined by the representatives of the    


Afghan people.                                                        


    Responding to the queries of American contacts on how Afghan      


groups would possibly respond to a U.S. invasion, he said: "We have   


had contacts with the U.S. which focused on their imminent attack on  


terrorist bases...we have stressed that Pakistan must not capitalize  


on the situation for their own gain."                                 


    He said that all the regions under the Taliban were regarded as   


occupied territories and treated the presence of foreign forces in    


Afghanistan as providing the seed of war and conflict and contributing


to regional and international tension.                                


    The Afghan foreign minister further called on the international   


community and the U.N. Security Council to hasten the exodus of       


foreign forces from Afghanistan although repeated past pleas to the   


United Nations had fallen on deaf ears.                               


    Any eventual tragedy in Afghanistan must be attributed to         


Pakistan and the Taliban, he said, adding, "We believe that any       


action on Afghanistan must entail a comprehensive agenda by those     


who are dedicated to peace in the country."                           


    Regarding recent reports of British troops on the ground in       


Afghanistan, he said, "We have no information of the presence of      


British fighting forces or any other foreign forces in Afghanistan."  


    He concluded by denying that they had launched actions against    


terrorist camps.                                                      


FS/LS                                                                 


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::irna    15:18