KABUL, 26 June 2003 — Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday dismissed as meaningless the formation of a council by the ousted Taleban regime aimed at driving foreign troops out of Afghanistan.

The leader of the Taleban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, formed the council, or Shura, this week to press for jihad against foreign forces, a Pakistani newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The whereabouts of Mullah Omar, a close ally of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, have not been known since US-led forces drove the Taleban from power in late 2001.

“He himself is in hiding and if someone is in hiding and cannot reveal himself, then how can he make a council,” Karzai told a news conference.

“This has no importance for us,” he said.

There are about 11,500 foreign troops under US command hunting Taleban and Al-Qaeda remnants in Afghanistan.

Authorities have blamed the Taleban, Al-Qaeda and renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar for a series of attacks on government and foreign troops, international peace keepers and aid workers in recent months.

Some provincial officials have said Taleban and Al-Qaeda fighters were regrouping along the rugged border with Pakistan but Karzai said they posed no threat to the government.

“They have been defeated and destroyed; in no way are they a danger for Afghanistan. But of course, they carry out terrorist operations and want to harm our men and interests,” he said. “But they are not a danger for Afghanistan, for its territory and its regime,” he said. Karzai said Afghanistan was in touch with Pakistan about the formation of the Taleban council and Pakistan was cooperating. He did not elaborate.

Journalists Released

Meanwhile, Karzai yesterday ordered the release of two journalists arrested last week but said they would still face trial for publishing an article allegedly blasphemous to Islam, the national faith.

“Now I have instructed the release of the two journalists pending their case in the court and let them go and defend themselves in the court of law in accordance with the laws of the country,” Karzai told a radio broadcast. The two were released yesterday following criticism of their detention by the United Nations and international free press and human rights watchdogs.

Sayeed Mirhassan Mahdawi, editor of the Aftab weekly, and his deputy Ali Payam Sestani were arrested Tuesday for publishing an article deemed offensive to Islam.