FORMER KING ISSUES STATEMENTS REPUDIATING PRESS

UNCLAS ROME 001220 SIPDIS PAGE 02 ROME 01220 081423Z AMCONSUL FLORENCE AMCONSUL MILAN AMCONSUL NAPLES UNCLAS ROME 001220 SIPDIS ALMATY FOR EMBASSY DUSHANBE NSC FOR KHALILZHAD DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR SA/PAB, SA/PD, EUR/PPD, EUR/WE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL OPRC AF AFGHANISTAN SUBJECT: FORMER KING ISSUES STATEMENTS REPUDIATING PRESS ARTICLES REF: ROME 1207 ¶1. THE OFFICE OF FORMER AFGHAN KING ZAHIR SHAH RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS ON MARCH 8, DESPITE THE DATE OF MARCH 7 THAT APPEARS ON THE STATEMENTS THEMSELVES. (COMMENT: THE KING'S OFFICE DID NOT HAVE CONTACT INFO FOR MANY JOURNALISTS/MEDIA OUTLETS, SO IT IS LIKELY THAT THE STATEMENTS DID NOT RECEIVE WIDE DISTRIBUTION. END COMMENT.) THE AFGHANS REQUESTED THAT WE "SEND THE STATEMENTS TO ANYONE WE WISHED" (PA ENSURED THAT ANSA AND "LA STAMPA" RECEIVED THE INFORMATION) AND ALSO THAT WE PASS THEM TO THE DEPARTMENT. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT, FIRST STATEMENT: PRESS RELEASE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 01220 081423Z ROME, MARCH 7, 2002 THE SECRETARIAT OF HIS MAJESTY MOHAMMED ZAHER THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN INFORMS CONCERNED AUTHORITIES AND THE MASS MEDIA THAT REMARKS ATTRIBUTED ON MARCH 7, 2002 EDITION TO THE PERSON OF THE FORMER KING BY THE NEWSPAPER "LA STAMPA" ARE COMPLETELY ERRONEOUS AND HIGHLY MISLEADING. HIS MAJESTY THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN HAD, AT NO TIME, GRANTED OR CONCEDED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ABOVE-MENTIONED NEWSPAPER. HIS MAJESTY THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN HAS BEEN FROM THE BEGINNING, COMMITTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S COMMON AND UNITED STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM IN ALL ITS FORMS AND MANIFESTATIONS. END. (SEAL OF "SECRETARIAT OF HIS MAJESTY ZAHER SHAH") END TEXT, FIRST STATEMENT. ¶3. BEGIN TEXT, SECOND STATEMENT: PRESS RELEASE ROME, MARCH 7, 2002 THE SECRETARIAT OF HIS MAJESTY THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN INFORMS THAT, REPORTS APPEARING IN VARIOUS NEWSPAPERS AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 01220 081423Z MEDIUMS, STATING THAT THE FORMER KING'S HISTORIC RETURN TO HIS SACRED HOMELAND IS CANCELLED IS UNFOUNDED AND WITHOUT ANY BASIS. HIS MAJESTY THE FORMER KING OF AFGHANISTAN, WITH THE WILL OF ALMIGHTY GOD, SHALL RETURN TO AFGHANISTAN AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING. END (SEAL OF "SECRETARIAT OF HIS MAJESTY ZAHER SHAH") END TEXT, SECOND STATEMENT. MINIMIZED CONSIDERED POPE UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME01220 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED