Skip to main content
CNN.com /transcript

CNN TV

EDITIONS
SERVICES
CNN TV
EDITIONS

CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL

America's New War: Pakistan's Ambassador Meets With Taliban

Aired September 17, 2001 - 06:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're beginning to see the manifestations of the words of Secretary of State Colin Powell, his words that they're going to hold accountable nations that are harboring or making life easy for terrorists around the world. A high-level delegation from Pakistan is in Afghanistan right now delivering such a message to the Taliban.

Let's check in now with our Nic Robertson who is, we believe, the only American journalist who is still there in Afghanistan. He joins us now live by way of videophone.

Nic, what have you learned?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, I'm in Kandahar. This is the spiritual capital of the Taliban. It's in south Afghanistan about 300 miles south of the capital Kabul. And it's to here today those Pakistani diplomats came.

Aziz Khan, a Pakistani former ambassador to Afghanistan, so likely there perhaps to have strong ties already with the Taliban, they know a lot of people here perhaps have some influence, and with him was Pakistan's Intelligence Chief General Mahmood and they both came here.

The first meeting they had lasted about an hour and a quarter and that was with the Taliban Foreign Minister Ahmed Wakil Mutawakel. And in that meeting they discussed various things. After the meeting, we don't know all the details of what they discussed, but after the meeting, the Taliban foreign minister was asked if they discussed Osama bin Laden. And he said well actually Osama, we didn't discuss him very much. He said that he would take the meeting -- take what he'd heard in the meeting with the Pakistani diplomats and take it to a higher authority.

We also asked the Pakistani diplomats what was their message to the Taliban at this time. They said that they'd come to tell them that time was short and that they needed to resolve this problem quickly.

Neither side -- neither party in this discussion characterized the meeting, and we understand there may have been a follow-up meeting, although we're trying to confirm details of that at this time. The higher authority the foreign minister, the Afghan Taliban foreign minister referred to would likely be Mullah Omar, the spiritual leader of the Taliban. And we know that last night in a national radio address Mullah Omar called for all religious leaders to go to the capital to debate the current situation. He also called on all Afghans now to begin to pray that should America attack Afghanistan that they find victory -- Leon.

HARRIS: Nic, are we to interpret then those words from Mullah Mohammed Omar to mean that the Taliban is not likely to submit at all to this ultimatum they are receiving?

ROBERTSON: Leon, it's got to be said they've shown no indication of that so far. They've been under a lot of pressure in the past. They've had U.N. sanctions for over two years. Those sanctions stepped up over a year ago or just under a year ago and they show no indication so far to hand him over. It's exceptionally unlikely, I would say, from my read of the current situation, there are no indications whatsoever. Taliban have always said he's an honored guest there and we wouldn't hand him over. He is very valuable, if you will, to the Taliban in as much he's a very charismatic person and that draws in some support. And the Taliban do need that support, those fighters that he brought in to fight their war in the north of Afghanistan. It's been ongoing civil war situation here so they need the kind of support that he brings into the country.

HARRIS: Well, Nic, considering that there is a continuing civil war there, are you able to get a sense at all of whether or not there is any public unity of the Afghan people, not necessarily the Taliban government, but of the people who live in that country, is there a sense of unity right now and defiance of this -- in the face of this ultimatum they are facing?

ROBERTSON: Well, there was a meeting of the tribal elders in one region a couple of days ago and one of the statements they made was that the Taliban shouldn't close the door on negotiations at this time. But where there does seem to be unity amongst all parties here, whether it's the tribal elders or people we talk to on the street, they say that if Afghanistan is attacked by America, then they will certainly band together and they will certainly fight back and they say to the last man. So there is certainly no disunity on that part at this time.

Afghanistan's been going through war for the last 22 years and for many people here this could just be a continuation of that war. It started in the 1980s with a Soviet invasion. They had (INAUDIBLE) holy warrior infighting. Now we've had the Taliban versus the northern alliance. For many people, this would just be a continuation -- something else, if you will, to continue to fight against -- Leon.

HARRIS: Nic Robertson reporting live for us via videophone from Kandahar, Afghanistan. As we said, we believe Nic is the only American journalist who is still in Afghanistan so this is the only place to find out exactly what's happening there.

Nic, make sure you stay safe and get back to us when you get the latest word on that next set of meetings.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top