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CNN Live Event/Special

America's New War: Conditions in Afghanistan

Aired September 26, 2001 - 14:48   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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: In our efforts at CNN to bring you as much information as possible, from what could be the war front, CNN has a number of correspondents in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our Chris Burns stopped by a village in northern Afghanistan, a village he tells is trying to get on with life despite the constant threat of war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): This is a village that is living on the edge. It is only about five kilometers or three miles from the front lines. These villagers have seen it pass between the Northern Alliance and the Taliban three times in the last five years of fighting.

If you look down here at this shop, Mr. Rahman (ph) , he works by day and he fights by night. He is among those who said that if they had help from the Americans, weapons, and perhaps even airstrikes, could make their way toward Kabul.

I you look beyond me, over my shoulder, there's a craggy mountain there, the first one on the left. That is where the front line begins. We saw fighting there in the last couple of days. In fact, there was an airstrike by one of the few Taliban jets that dropped a bomb not far from this village. If you go beyond that, if you look beyond those mountains over there, that is 50 kilometers away, 50 kilometers beyond that, or 30 miles beyond that, is where Kabul is.

And they say if they had help from the Americans, they could take that city. There is also a very important former Soviet army base -- military base that the Americans could use to stage their attacks.

Chris Burns, CNN, in northern Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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