▁the ▁Pas ht un ▁areas . ▁Mass oud ▁public ized ▁their ▁cause ▁of ▁" pop ular ▁cons ensus , ▁general ▁elections ▁and ▁dem ocracy " ▁world wide . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁he ▁was ▁very ▁w ary ▁not ▁to ▁rev ive ▁the ▁failed ▁Kab ul ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁he ▁began ▁training ▁police ▁forces ▁specifically ▁to ▁keep ▁order ▁and ▁protect ▁the ▁civil ian ▁population , ▁in ▁case ▁the ▁United ▁Front ▁was ▁successful . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁A hm ad ▁Shah ▁Mass oud ▁addressed ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament ▁in ▁Br uss els ▁asking ▁the ▁international ▁community ▁to ▁provide ▁human itar ian ▁help ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Afghan istan . ▁() ▁He ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁and ▁Al ▁Q a eda ▁had ▁introduced ▁" a ▁very ▁wrong ▁per ception ▁of ▁Islam " ▁and ▁that ▁without ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁Pakistan ▁and ▁Bin ▁L aden ▁the ▁Tal ib an ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁sust ain ▁their ▁military ▁campaign ▁for ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁year . ▁On ▁this ▁visit ▁to ▁Europe ▁he ▁also ▁war ned ▁that ▁his ▁intelligence ▁had ▁gathered ▁information ▁about ▁a ▁large - scale ▁attack ▁on ▁U . S . ▁soil ▁being ▁im min ent . ▁The ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Parliament , ▁N icole ▁Font aine , ▁called ▁him ▁the ▁" pole ▁of ▁liberty ▁in ▁Afghan istan ". ▁ ▁On ▁September ▁ 9 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Mass oud , ▁then ▁aged