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CNN Live Event/Special

Target: Terrorism - Taliban Prepares for Attacks from West

Aired October 04, 2001 - 05:21   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: There are plenty of reports emanating from Afghanistan and from Pakistan that the Taliban is preparing right now for an imminent military attack.

Let's check and see how things look from the ground there. Kamal Hyder joins us right now on the phone. He's got an inside look for us at exactly what's going on there -- Kamal, hello.

KAMAL HYDER, JOURNALIST: Hi, Leon.

I can tell you from here in eastern Afghanistan -- Taliban- controlled Afghanistan -- that the Taliban seem to be committed to defending their cause. They have disbursed key assets to higher ground around the cities and disbursed men. They are continuing to keep a security presence in the cities, and their intelligence is very active trying to look out for possible collaborators or supporters of the king, Zahir Shah.

People are surprised here that in spite of reports of desertions within the Taliban ranks, they are surprised at the organized manner in which the Taliban have made their moves by taking their troops through the rural areas of Afghanistan. They are basically digging in for a long guerrilla campaign here -- Leon.

HARRIS: Kamal Hyder, thank you very much. We'll check back with you some other time, I hope, because you've got some very good proximity there to the activity in that region that we don't normally get at this particular time, so thank you very much.

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