WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Thursday he is still

considering an invitation by the Taliban government to come to Afghanistan

to negotiate a peace deal.

The father of an American aid worker being held by the Taliban also is asking for

Jackson's help, but a senior Bush administration official said having Jackson act as

a diplomat would not be "helpful."

The Taliban asked Jackson to help avoid a "humanitarian catastrophe" in

Afghanistan by forming a delegation to travel to the region to negotiate a peace.

Jackson said he also is considering another request

from parents of two American Christian aid

workers to help secure their daughters' release,

along with six other detained Western aid workers,

held by the Taliban.

A senior Bush administration official said such a trip

would not win White House support.

"His heart is in the right place, but we need to be

honest with him," the official said of Jackson. "This

would not be helpful. It would not be a good

development for him to step onto the field right

now. ... We will try through diplomatic means

today to try to discourage him from doing so. Our

fear is it could do potential damage to some of the

pieces we have so carefully put in place here."

Jackson told CNN that his actions were "not in

defiance of our government."

"When this call came, I immediately called

Secretary of State (Colin) Powell; I called Dr.

Condoleezza Rice," Jackson said. "If we are able to

appeal to the Taliban to choose ... the world court

and to release (Osama) bin Laden, rather than

seeing more innocent people killed, that must be

seen as a good thing."

The United States is preparing possible military

operations against Afghanistan because the Taliban

has refused to hand over accused terrorist

mastermind bin Laden, whom President Bush has

called the prime suspect in the September 11

attacks against the United States that left thousands

dead.

Jackson also said he has not made a decision as to

whether he would travel to the region, noting that

he has a right to go to Pakistan. The American civil rights leader was given the

invitation by a Taliban representative.

"We would like to see this situation resolved in a way that preserves the dignity and

integrity of all sides," said the invitation, which was released by Jackson's

Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

"War and bloodshed are easy, but peace is difficult. We welcome any delegation

that comes to us in the interest of resolving this matter and avoiding a humanitarian

catastrophe that would befall the people of Afghanistan as a result of military

strikes. We are thankful to God that there exist people who are willing and ready to

pursue peace as an alternative to war and bloodshed, and we welcome their

cooperation."

John Mercer, whose 24-year-old daughter is in Taliban custody, asked for

Jackson's help in securing his daughter's release.

"I would like the Rev. Jackson to do whatever he can to effect a humanitarian

release of all eight detainees currently in Kabul," Mercer told CNN, from Islamabad,

Pakistan. "I am here as Heather's father. Heather's mother is here, the mother of

Dayna Curry is here, and we are seeking any approach that might be effective in

seeking her release."

In 1999, Jackson met with then-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to discuss

the release of three captured U.S. soldiers. They were let go days later.

He also secured the release of captured Navy Lt. Robert Goodman from Syria in

1984 as well as the release of 48 Cuban and Cuban-American prisoners in 1987. He

was the first American to bring hostages out of Kuwait and Iraq in 1990.