Alliance U-turn renews hope for peace-keepers

Proposals for a multinational force to keep the peace in Afghanistan appeared to be back on track yesterday, after the leader of the Northern Alliance delegation to the Bonn talks withdrew some of his earlier objections.

Yunis Qanuni, who is also the Alliance's interior minister, spoke of "more progress" in negotiations yesterday, and was "more optimistic about a peaceful solution".

The change in position, which opens the way again for a deployment of British and French forces in Afghanistan, came after the opposition group, which controls about 80 per cent of the country, was told by the United Nations that there would be no large-scale funding for reconstruction unless they agreed to the presence of an international force.

Mr Qanuni called a news conference to "clarify and make a correction" to what he said had been a "misunderstanding" of his position. Contrary to the impression he had created on Wednesday, "the issue of the deployment of multinational forces can be discussed within a comprehensive peace package". He said: "Our official position is that once a transitional mechanism is established, and if that involves – or necessitates – the presence of international peace-keeping forces, we'll go with it, we won't oppose it." But Mr Qanuni stressed: "We aren't yet in a transitional period."

He blamed his interpreter for the "mistake". But a more likely explanation was that the United Nations and/or the Americans had placed the heavy hand on Northern Alliance leaders overnight.

Mr Qanuni said the "people of Afghanistan" would prefer any multinational force to come from Islamic countries. He also said that one of the duties of an outside force could be patrolling Afghanistan's national border at sensitive points "to ensure no violations from neighbouring countries".

The contingency plans under consideration will involve a sizeable British contingent at Bagram air base, and a presence in Kabul, while the French take over the airfield at Mazar-i-Sharif. The Americans want to concentrate their efforts around Kandahar to attempt to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, Mullah Mohammed Omar and the al-Qai'da and Taliban leadership.

The original plan was to deploy a force from Muslim countries, led by Turkey and Jordan, in Kabul. However, both those countries have indicated that they are not in a position to supply large numbers of troops because of the indecision and lack of direction by the US-led coalition so far.

Britain has about 1,000 paratroops, signallers and support from the 16 Air Assault Brigade on 48-hour stand-by. Up to 5,000 other troops are on five-day notice, including mountain warfare specialists from the 3 Commando Brigade.

The French have put their forces, including elements of the Foreign Legion, on alert, but not, so far, on any kind of emergency stand-by.

Ahmad Fawzi, a UN spokesman, expressed continued hope for a unanimous decision on the composition both of an interim supreme council of about 120 people and a much smaller interim executive. But he warned: "It can take just one little mistake to slip back towards the abyss, or one momentous, courageous step to move forward."