It may be a sign of how dire Afghanistan's future looks that its best hope for peace may rest with a reclusive 86-year-old deposed monarch who hasn't set foot in the country for nearly 30 years. Now living in exile in a Rome suburb, Mohammed Zahir Shah ruled, largely as a figurehead, from 1933 until he was ousted in a 1973 coup led by his cousin. Many Afghans recall the King's reign as a period of relative peace and prosperity. European diplomats hoping to capitalize on his status as a unifying symbol have visited the aging leader's four-bedroom home in efforts...
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