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America's New War: Northern Alliance Making Gains Against Taliban

Aired September 26, 2001 - 05:10   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: The Northern Alliance, the opposition to the Taliban, have been waging their campaign against that regime for years now, and we've got our Chris Burns, who is in northern Afghanistan. He has been there for the last few days with the Northern Alliance.

We check in with him now to see the very latest from there -- good morning, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

Well, a very stark, breathtaking backdrop to a village that is really in the middle of a five-year-old war. What we see here is a village that is about just a few miles from the front line. It has passed between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance three times in the last few years, and at the moment, is in Northern Alliance hands.

But the shopkeepers here, they try to go on with life. In fact, the shopkeeper right here, Abdul Raijman (ph). He sells scarves and watches and beans and so forth, and he says that he works by day from his -- he works by day, and at night he fights. And that is an example of some of the other men here. He says that he is looking forward to -- he's almost assuming that the United States will start striking at the Taliban and at terrorist positions.

This village -- if you look a little beyond this village, it is just short of the front line. If you can see the mountain, the first ridge here behind me -- that first mountain ridge is where the front line is. We were there a couple of days ago -- fighting was rather intense. In fact, not far from this village, the Taliban airdropped a bomb that blew up not far from here, so really almost daily -- exposure to that kind of thing. Today is quiet.

If you look further on past those mountains over there -- that is where Kabul. That's about 35 miles away, and that is what the Northern Alliance is trying to fight for. There is also a major former Soviet air base that some say could serve for U.S. operations, and this is where the Northern Alliance is contending that they can serve as a very valuable ally to the Americans and to help them try to fight their war against terrorism.

Fighting today going on in northern Afghanistan between the two sides -- intense fighting -- tanks, artillery, machine gunfire, mortars. They continue to pound each other; apparently they're not going very far. They're fighting basically for the provincial town of Mazar-i-Sharif. Whoever wins that will really show who is advancing in this war. The Northern Alliance is trying to consolidate its holdings to the north before moving in on Kabul -- Leon.

HARRIS: Well, Chris, let me ask you about a report we've been hearing from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. They've been saying that the food situation and the refugee situation in Afghanistan is approaching catastrophic conditions.

But what are you seeing there as far as people there being able to get food and water?

BURNS: Well, from this standpoint, it doesn't look too bad, but there are other refugee camps that have been here for years, and they do need -- they depend very much on foreign -- on international aid. In fact, one-fifth of this country of 26 million depends on international aid, and that is why the U.N. agreed yesterday to start again sending shipments into the north. Now, they are somewhat confident that they can do that and still be safe doing that.

However, in the south, the Taliban, according to the U.N., have seized 1,400 tons of food and taken control of the offices and communications of the United Nations, apparently girding themselves for war -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right. Very good. Chris Burns reporting live for us this morning from northern Afghanistan -- we'll talk with you later on.

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