Everybody seems to have pinned their hopes for peace in Afghanistan on some symbolic role for the exiled king, Zahir Shah. Everybody except factions of the Northern Alliance, the Taliban, and local leaders looking for their own piece of Afghanistan.

It's not surprising the King is seen as key; it's almost full circle. Shah's ouster in a 1973 palace coup led by his cousin/brother-in-law marked the beginning of power struggles, occupation, and civil wars that bring us to now.

After taking the throne in 1933 at age 19, (his father was assassinated by a student), Zahir Shah discouraged the restrictions on women and began modernizing the ancient infrastructure. He kept his small country neutral during World War II and the Cold War. His attempts at reform ultimately led to his downfall, and he has lived in exile in Italy since 1973.

A Pashtun, Zahir Shah can expect a boost in support in the absence of the Taliban. Whether that will be enough to stop a continued slide into disaster is questionable. But he does have a few allies who notably had been keeping a low profile during the worst years of slaughter.

Hamid Karzai is Shah's official representative. Based in Pakistan he has been doing the groundwork toward convening the hoped-for Loya Jurga, the national council of traditional leaders. Karzai is chief of southern Afghanistan's powerful Popolzai tribe of Pashtuns and was deputy foreign minister in the Mujahideen government. He initially supported the Taliban but changed his mind in 1994.

Ismail Khan, a Tajik, is said to be pushing for a broad-based government. A hero of the anti-Soviet resistance, Khan seems to embrace the chivalric codes of ancient times and has a relatively clean human rights record. Close to Iran, he was governor of Herat until it was capture by the Taliban in 1997. Kahn was imprisoned but escaped two years ago. During his governorship, schools included equal numbers of boys and girls. He has technically been part of the Northern Alliance, and was considered to replace Ahmed Shah Masood but has played little active role in the Alliance until recently.

Pir Sayeed Ahmed Gailani is spiritual leader of the Qadiri Sufis. He left Afghanistan after the Communists took power in 1979 and founded the National Islamic Front in Pakistan. Part of the post soviet alliance government, he initially declined an active role but later accepted the position of chief justice.

The king is reported to be anxious at the Northern Alliance's broken promise not to enter Kabul. A spokesman said: "We're not judging anyone, just saying a promise is normally something you keep. Obviously the king is very concerned because he fears fighting might break out between factions and cause more casualties to innocent civilians."

The king recently told the London Telegraph: "From Alexander the Great to the Nazis, it is astonishing what people will do for power. We went backwards instead of forwards. It was unbelievable and it will take a long time to recuperate."

And then he said: "I am against this war because I am always against killing people."