Afghan Factions Agree on Interim Govt

Dec. 5 -- Negotiators for four Afghan factions picked their interim leader today and set into motion a mechanism they hope will lead their nation in a peaceful transition to a more permanent government.

Anti-Taliban commander Hamid Karzai, an ethnic Pashtun, has been named head of the interim administration. He will run a temporary administration for six months.

That administration would then give way to one selected by a traditional tribal council convened by the former king.

"I am glad that my Afghan countrymen put their trust in me and I am honored that they trust me for this job," Karzai told ABCNEWS by satellite telephone, but added that he had not been formally told of the decision.

"I only know this through the media," he said. "I have not been informed by my Afghan countrymen yet."

Karzai, 46, is currently leading troops in the battle outside Kandahar, the Taliban's last stronghold in Afghanistan. He was injured today when a U.S. B-52 dropped a 2,000-pound satellite-guided bomb, or JDAM, about 100 yards from friendly forces north of Kandahar. The accident killed five Afghan anti-Taliban soldiers and three Americans, but Karzai's injuries were not believed to be serious.

Karzai was widely recognized as Washington's pick for the job. In making the case for him earlier, a senior U.S. diplomat noted that he is not an exile, like many of the other leading candidates, and has actually been on the ground in Afghanistan since October.

No Role for Rabbani

So far, no role has been specified for Northern Alliance leader Burhanuddin Rabbani, who is still recognized as the Afghan president by the United Nations, which never recognized the Taliban regime.

U.N. special envoy Lakdhar Brahimi is expected to travel to Kabul, the Afghan capital, to consult with Rabbani about the transfer of power. On the way, Brahimi may stop in Rome for talks withthe former king, Mohammed Zahir Shah.

Karzai told ABCNEWS he did not foresee any problems with the transfer of power.