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CNN Live Event/Special

America Strikes Back: Bombings in Afghanistan Most Intense Yet

Aired October 11, 2001 - 06:02   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: Right now we want to give you the big picture of how these U.S.-led air strikes went down overnight, the fourth night of bombing and the most intense yet. You're looking at a map here which will show the capital city -- well, actually you're going to look at Tom Mintier there.

Let's go to you, Tom. We were going to take a look at the map to show Kabul and Kandahar, the areas of the strongest strikes, but why don't you go ahead and give us the overview.

TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well the overview, Carol, is that the bombing strikes last night and into today were probably the most intense seen so far over Afghanistan. We had reports from inside Kandahar that at least 30 to 50 loud explosions were heard in the center of the city and the airport, one of them causing a secondary explosion that apparently hit an ammunition dump and sent ammunition flying and exploding all over the downtown area. At the same time, (INAUDIBLE) leaving Kandahar very quickly, very rapidly in a rather chaotic scene of people trying to find their way out of the city.

As you said, within the last hour we have heard from the Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan. You have to remember this is their only voice outside of the borders of Afghanistan. They used to have diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates but before the strikes even began, those locations were closed down. Pakistan has decided to allow this embassy to remain open as a way of funneling food aid in to the Afghan people and possibility of putting an end to this diplomatically. Should that happen, it would probably come through the embassy here so that's why they're allowing the embassy to stay open.

We're hearing from them now on a daily basis with the ambassador holding a press conference at the front door of the embassy. This one today did not last very long, provided few details but a lot of stinging criticism of the United States and the Pentagon, accusing the Pentagon of lying when it says that they're targeting military installations and not any other civilian targets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF, TALIBAN AMBASSADOR TO PAKISTAN (through translator): In the past days of American air raids, more than 70 (ph) civilians have been martyred in different parts of our country. The number is increasing with the passage of time. This is the gift of America to the defenseless people of Afghanistan. It is in a time the Pentagon is lying to the world that it is not targeting civilians. We tell White House administration your atrocities, your weapons and your hypocrisy will not weaken the morale of the Afghans. All the super (ph) powers have tested our strong determination and the sentiments for -- and our sentiments for sacrifice, independence and faith. This time you will test our power is and the (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MINTIER: While the ambassador talked about the number of civilians hit, he made no mention of what the military casualties have been or what has been hit or what has not, saying that only four houses were hit in both Kandahar and Kabul -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thank you very much. Tom Mintier reporting live from Islamabad.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, the rains over there in Pakistan may be interfering with our satellite signal there. We apologize for the technical difficulties there.

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