Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Event/Special

America Strikes Back: Northern Alliance Bombards Taliban Front Lines

Aired October 09, 2001 - 05:19   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Matthew Chance can see the front- line action from his position in northern Afghanistan. We're going to go to him live now for the latest from there -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, thanks very much -- that's right.

And I am, indeed, just north of the front line between the forces of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance and Taliban positions about 30 kilometers from where I'm standing right now.

Well, the forces of the Northern Alliance say they are continuing their bombardment of those front-line positions, and they also say they've issued an order to their commanders to stay in their positions, not to move forward into Taliban-controlled territory and not to advance towards Kabul -- cooperating, they say, with the United States' military strategy over Afghanistan.

Let's take a look at those night-scope images that we managed to videotape last night -- those big flashes on that green screen there. That's probably -- we're assuming -- the U.S. attacks over northern Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. We can't see Kabul itself, of course, because there is a mountain in the way blocking our line of vision, but also blocking forces of the Northern Alliance from entering the capital of Afghanistan, of course, their ultimate objective.

One U.S. warplane is said to have dropped a bomb over Kabul. There you can see the Taliban anti-aircraft gunners firing their shots into the air.

Again, Northern Alliance commanders say their forces are bombarding, in coordination with the United States military, Taliban positions across the front line. They say they're staying where they are right now, though, to see what the United States will do in the days ahead -- back to you, Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Matthew Chance -- the latest view from the front line in northern Afghanistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.