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CNN Saturday Morning News

Turkey to Allow U.S. to Use Air Bases

Aired September 22, 2001 - 07:06   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Developing news now out of Turkey. We're getting reports through CNN's Jane Arraf, who's in Istanbul, that Turkish air spaces and Turkish air bases will be given permission to allow U.S. jets to be deployed in that area. We'll talk with Jane momentarily in Istanbul.

In the meantime, in the same part of the world, CNN's Christiane Amanpour with us live in Islamabad, Pakistan.

And Christiane, we have the reports of this downed plane, whatever that plane might be. What are you hearing from your perspective there in Islamabad?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, really conflicting reports coming out of Pakistan, as you've already reported. The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan saying that it was a helicopter from the anti-Taliban rebels; the anti-Taliban rebels, the Northern Alliance, deny that.

And one of those officials from Kabul, as you've been mentioning, saying that it was a downed U.S. pilotless spy plane. Basically, confusion about this incident, and we have no independent means of confirming it.

Meantime, the Pakistani president continues to review security situation here in Pakistan. He is meeting with his security officials, provincial governors. There was another anti-U.S. pro- Taliban demonstration in the northern city of Peshawa today. It was very calm, it was fairly orderly, despite the slogans that were chanted, and perhaps some flag-burning that always goes on in these kinds of demonstrations.

This after yesterday's demonstrations, which again were -- went better than the government had hoped. In other words, there was not the mass uprising or nationwide protests that the government had feared, and that the Islamic hard-liners here had called for. There were ugly incidents in the main commercial hub of Karachi, south of here, in which there was a confrontation with police and demonstrators, and three people were killed, according to the police officials.

But so far, the government's feeling fairly good about what happened yesterday and hoping to maintain the security situation, Bill. HEMMER: Christiane, reports the United Arab Emirates is cutting ties with the Taliban government immediately, they say, which would leave, in effect, only Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as supporters and backers and recognizers, really, of the Taliban.

What's the measurable impact with the UAE's decision as of today, can we ascertain that?

AMANPOUR: Yes, well, it's significant, because the UAE is, you know, it's a fairly powerful group of Gulf states, economically very strong. And they were, you know, supporting the Taliban. They have a very committed religious feeling in the UAE, so this is all important in terms of trying to isolate the Taliban.

Saudi Arabia had already downgraded its relations with the Taliban, you know, long before this crisis, and now the only government that remains with diplomatic relations is Pakistan. But Pakistan is loath right now to cut diplomatic relations because it now is the only conduit to the Taliban, and it continues to try to get the Taliban to cooperate with the international community and with the U.S. on the matter of Osama bin Laden.

HEMMER: Christiane Amanpour in Islamabad will be back later today. Christiane, thank you.

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