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American Morning

U.S. Marines Land Near Kandahar

Aired November 26, 2001 - 09:07   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: U.S. Marines have landed in the southern Taliban stronghold of Kandahar this morning. The vanguard of Marines will grow to well over 1,000. Meanwhile, heavy U.S.-led airstrikes rocked the city. Nic Robertson joins us now live on videophone from Shaman, Pakistan along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Nic, what is the latest from there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, from where I stand, I'm about half a mile from the border with Afghanistan, and it's about a three-hour drive there along a highway to Kandahar. While we've been at the border today, we've saw seven Taliban fighters, -- young fighters -- without their guns crossing to Pakistan. They said that they had come for food and for medical facilities, although they did not seem to be injured. The Pakistani authorities promptly turned them around, sent them back into Afghanistan. The Pakistani authorities said that they did not have the proper documentation.

Also, while we've been standing at the border today, a Taliban official came out of the Afghanistan border town just across the border, the town of Spin Boldak. He said that at this time, there were no negotiations under way with tribal leaders for control of Spin Boldak. But he did say that the Taliban were prepared to negotiate, but at the moment, he said, the tribunal leaders are asking for too much and the ground between the two parties is too vast. However, he did say that the Taliban do control Spin Boldak.

We have also been talking with drivers who have driven the three- hour drive from Kandahar to the border. There is a lot of trade still going on across this border. We saw some thirty trucks, full of food, going into Afghanistan today. Those drivers coming from Kandahar telling us from what they've seen, the road to Kandahar is under Taliban control. They report seeing no -- no tribal fighters. The reports also saying no U.S. troops en route.

They say that for most of the day in Kandahar, and our CNN staff in Kandahar also say that for most of the day Kandahar has been relatively quiet and that the international airport just outside of Kandahar also remains under Taliban control.

But, mixed in with all of this, the general view emerging from here is one of confusion about what is happening inside Afghanistan. Even from those living there and a large degree of uncertainty about what is going to happen next. That is the feeling we are getting from those Taliban, from the Taliban officials, and also from those truckers coming out here to Pakistan. Paula.

ZAHN: Nic, what is is the general reaction to the news that the U.S. Marines are now on the ground in Afghanistan?

ROBERTSON: Well, in the past, the Taliban have obviously sought to deny such claims they have put -- they have said this the rumor and propaganda. The Taliban official we spoke to today did not want to comment any further on any issue at all. He certainly seemed much more concerned about the situation. This is a Taliban official we have been talking with only four or five days ago inside Afghanistan. He seemed much more concerned about the current situation.

And, certainly talking with the drivers coming out of Afghanistan, they have a sense that things are changing at the time. But they don't know exactly how it will change.

Certainly this was a thing in the past that the Taliban feared the most. They feared the U.S. Special Forces, Marines as well, would come in, secure a location inside their territory, that they would be unable to attack those Marines for fear of breaking cover, for fear of drawing airpower -- air fire against them.

And this was, speaking with Taliban officials, more than two months ago when we were inside Afghanistan. This was their greatest fear that if -- a unit of special troops -- specially-trained forces, would be inside their territory. They'd be unable to do anything. Paula.

ZAHN: Nic Robertson, appreciate the update.

Further north, the last Taliban stronghold in the the northern part of Afghanistan, Konduz, now appears to be in the hands of the Northern Alliance. But there are reports that before many of the Taliban troops surrendered on Saturday, leading to the fall of Konduz, Pakistani planes were in action evacuating Pakistani soldiers fighting alongside the Taliban.

That raises the question: Did Pakistan cross the line to rescue pro-Taliban soldiers? And, what did the U.S. know about that? Well, CNN military analyst General Wesley Clark joins me now to talk about that and other war developments. Good morning, how are you doing this morning?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK, (RET.) CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Just fine, Paula. Thank you.

ZAHN: First of all, your reaction to this report in the "New York Times" about Pakistan escorting their soldiers out of the country?

CLARK: In general, reports like that in the past have proved to be true. Now, what's behind it, of course, is pure speculation. There has been no confirmation, so far as I know, from the Pentagon. It is possible that there were Pakistani aircraft that would have flown over and landed at this airstrip. It's hard to believe they could have done so without the United States knowing about it. Perhaps it was a behind the scenes arrangement to help President Musharraf get the people out and deal with Pakistani domestic concerns. We --

ZAHN: So, you're saying the U.S. -- So -- so, the possibilities exist that the U.S. knew about it and allowed to happen?

CLARK: It's possible that could have happened. It's also possible that those aircraft could have been doing something else. It's possible they could have been bringing in some our assets.

ZAHN: The other thing that the "New York Times" describes is how Taliban soldiers are surrendering to and then embracing the -- their, at one point, Northern Alliance enemies. Can you --

CLARK: This is --

ZAHN: Can you describe us how this happens? And, have you ever seen anything like this before?

CLARK: Well, it's unusual. It's certainly not like the ethnic warfare in the Balkans where the Serbs and the Bosnian Muslims and the Croats and the Kosovar Albanians were bitter ethnic enemies.

Here, ethnic groups are important, but they've been split. And some parts of an ethnic group might have fought with the Taliban, and other parts might have fought against the Taliban. And so, some of the people may be not only neighbors, may be in laws. They may be related some way. And they recognize each other. So, it's one of the forces that could bring this country together and provide some hope for the future.

ZAHN: Let's talk about the malleability, though, of these soldiers. We've heard about how warlords could buy each other's devotion and all that. This has -- this has been standard practice for many years, in Afghanistan, hasn't it?

CARLSON: That's exactly right.

ZAHN: Changing sides for a better deal.

CLARK: That's exactly right. And the idea is that you find who the winning side is going to be, and you offer them something they need, and the pay you the price and, it's worthwhile to change sides. And, of course, that is one of the problems that we're going to be dealing with here with the Northern Alliance. But, every card is in the U.S. hands at this point. We clearly have the momentum. There's no question on the ground who's going to come out on top in this struggle. It's going to be the United States and those who side with the United States.

So it's merely a matter for anyone who would have any propensity to switch sides to figure out the most convenient, the most advantageous way to do it, and that's what going on now. Even as we speak around Kandahar, there are Pashtun tribes who are supporting the United States, or at least opposing the Taliban, who are gaining converts to their side. And they're whittling away the Taliban strength.

There may be some diehard Taliban supporters who won't switch, but they're going to be greatly outnumbered, even in the south, and with the Marines coming in there, it adds that much more pressure against them. It makes the end seem inevitable.

ZAHN: Do you believe the U.S. Marines, in the end, sort of close the deal in getting Osama bin Laden?

CLARK: Well, I think they're certainly going to be an important step, but I think this is a move that gives the United States a lot of options. An option to, first of all, have an air head inside the country. So, there's no need to have to go to Pakistan and say we need to stage troops in Pakistan. Now we don't need to do that. We've got our own air head there.

That means we can not only use those Marines, but if we need more Army troops, we can bring Army troops, land them there and use it. It's a convenient location for going after southeastern and southwestern Afghanistan. It's a little bit far from Jalalabad, but it's still -- Jalalabad and that area where Osama bin Laden was reported is still reachable from this area. And so it's a great staging location.

And it puts more pressure on the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. So, if they want to resist there, now you've the Marines at this airport, about 12 miles outside the center of the city. They've got artillery support, they've got aircraft right there, and there's no question that the Taliban stronghold is in jeopardy.

ZAHN: General Clark. As always, good to have you clarify the often conflicting information we have to sort through here. Thank you again.

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