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CNN Sunday Morning

What Will a Post-Taliban Afghanistan Look Like?

Aired September 30, 2001 - 07:22   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: A congressional delegation from the U.S. has been confirmed with the former Afghan King Mohammed Zahir Shah in Rome, Italy, that delegation meeting with the exiled king, in an effort now to build a post-Taliban government in Afghanistan. The 86-year-old monarch ousted back in a coup of 1973 and the king is telling CNN that groups opposed to the ruling Taliban have agreed to create an allied political and military structure.

The leader of that delegation, Dana Rohrabacher is a Republican congressman from California, who's with us by telephone now in Rome.

Sir, can you hear me?

REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R), CALIFORNIA: Yes, it's -- but Kurt Weldon is the official leader of this delegation. I'm just the one who helped put it together.

HEMMER: All right, well, given that, tell us you met with the king, according to our reports, for about an hour. What was the intent, sir, and what came of it?

ROHRABACHER: Well, we met with the King for about an hour but we also met with about six or seven of the regional commanders who just came right out of Afghanistan to meet with the king and to meet with us, to give us an update on what's going on on the ground -- or on the ground in Afghanistan.

And the Taliban, they're -- you know, obviously, they're on the run right now and if the United States does make the decision to support a coalition government, especially if it's under someone is as unifying factor and as much beloved as King Zahir Shah is in Afghanistan, the field commanders believe that the Taliban would crumble. And it was very enlightening.

The king insisted that he will go back if that's what this required of him. He's willing to go back. He's willing to head a coalition government for several years in order to write a constitution and establish a more democratic process in Afghanistan. So it was a very enlightening meeting and one that was filled with hope because we now know it's not just the Northern Alliance that loves -- that is fighting the Taliban but a national, unified front with the king as its figurehead, as someone who is unifying the people against the Taliban and aimed of course, at throwing Bin Laden out, who has killed as many Afghans as he's killed Americans. HEMMER: And sir, given the king's age, given the fact that he hasn't power there since the early 1970s, truly in all reality, how much power and control can he exert at this point?

ROHRABACHER: The king is much beloved by his people. And it's not important -- just like with Ronald Reagan, it wasn't important for him to know every detail and to be in command of every fact. But he gave a general direction to the United States government. We ended up defeating the Soviet Union and ending the Cold War.

The King of Afghanistan, who's also an older man, has the love of his people but he is surrounded by very, effective and well educated -- the most well educated group of people in any faction in Afghanistan. If the king were to return as the head of an open coalition government that was open to all people to join, the Taliban would crumple, Bin Laden would be on the run and I believe that he would effectively -- and the people around him would effectively bring Afghanistan back.

HEMMER: Yes, and you also mentioned, in your previous answer that the members of the Northern Alliance, that have conferred with you, just coming out of Afghanistan. They're telling you they have the Taliban on the run but knowing, the Northern Alliance only controls about 10 percent of Afghanistan, primarily in the northeastern section, what evidence are they giving and telling to you about victories or possible movement of pushing the Taliban back?

ROHRABACHER: The Taliban's own field commanders are ready to jump ship. They probably -- the people of Afghanistan are devote but they're not fanatic Muslims and they are not terrorists. And they feel that their religion as well as their -- as well as their country has been tarred by bin Laden. And bin Laden is terrorizing his own people, so they are -- so they are ready.

If it wasn't for the fact that Pakistan and perhaps Saudi Arabia had been propping up the Taliban all this time with the acquiescence of our -- of the United States government to some degree, the Taliban would have fallen a long time ago. But (UNINTELLIGIBLE) is a tangible alternative. And if George W. Bush, the president, makes the termination that we should back this coalition government and move forward and not abandon Afghanistan like we did last time, when they fought the Russians, I think that there's reason for optimism.

This isn't just revenge over the thousands of people that were -- lost their lives at the World Trade tower. It's also doing what's right by the people of Afghanistan.

HEMMER: I appreciate your time. Dana Rohrabacher, Republican congressman of California, meeting in Rome, Italy with members of the Northern Alliance and the deposed king from 1973. Sir, thanks to you.

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