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American Morning

America's New War: Taliban Warning Opposition Northern Alliance Against Helping U.S. Military

Aired September 27, 2001 - 09:24   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, is warning the opposition Northern Alliance against helping the U.S. military.

CNN's Steve Harrigan is at a village in Northern Afghanistan, a Northern Alliance stronghold.

What's the latest from there, Steve?

STEVE HARRIGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the fighting is going on as usual, a daily occurrence here in Northern Afghanistan. The fight on the front lines just north of the capital, Kabul. Also, heavy fighting in northeastern Afghanistan, around the city of Talikan (ph). It's there that the opposition, the Northern Alliance, says it's taking the heights around that key city.

Now earlier today, we saw a training exercise by the Northern Alliance. We saw some of their tanks in action. Some of these tanks Soviet-made tanks that were captured by Afghans during the 10-year war with the Soviet Union. Some of the newer models, some of the newer equipment is Russian-made. Of course, as you know, Russia making an about-face in its policies in Afghanistan. Once the Taliban took control, there were fears in Moscow that that movement could spread to Central Asian republics, former Soviet republics, so there was a concern there, making Moscow switch sides. Now Moscow supplies weapon, arms and money to many of the same commanders that it once fought so hard against.

Of course keeping equipment going in this terrain, without spare parts, without technical expertise sometimes is a real tough challenge. But the real challenge now for the Northern Alliance is one of leadership. Having lost their commander, Masood (ph), just before the terrorists attacks in the United States, we haven't seen anyone step up yet in the Northern Alliance, no one with the prestige to unite all the different factions in what may be a war ahead, combined with the United States against the Taliban -- Paula.

ZAHN: Steve, I need a brief answer to this one. Are you getting any confirmation from there to Mike Chinoy's reporting, that there are signs that the leadership of the Taliban is weakening?

HARRIGAN: Northern Alliance officials say some small-size commanders, midlevel commanders, who might have 50 Taliban fighters or less, are talking about defecting, that there have bees some low, midlevel defections. That's what the Northern Alliance, the opposition, is saying as far as that goes.

ZAHN: Steve Harrigan, thanks so much for that report.

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