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American Morning
Islamic Press Says Kandahar May be Surrendered Within Days
Aired December 06, 2001 - 07:12 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: Let's go back to the Kandahar region. We had told you earlier this morning, of course, that is the last Taliban stronghold, which we have heard from the Islamic Press may be surrendered within days. Let's try to go back to Allen Pizzey now, who is the pool reporter accompanying U.S. forces in southern Afghanistan.
All right, Allen, I see you now. Can you confirm for us this morning that Kandahar is about to be surrendered? At least that's what the Islamic Press is reporting this morning.
ALLEN PIZZEY, CBS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, we've not heard that here. The reports are coming from the Islamic Press saying that Hamid Karzai has made a deal with Mullah Mohammad Omar and Karzai is apparently claiming that Mullah Mohammad Omar will hand over Kandahar.
But the U.S. forces here in southern Afghanistan have not changed their state of alert or readiness and they're still doing what they have been doing for several days, pushing our further and further on patrols. They're going out with what they call hunter killer teams, groups of marines in humvees, armored vehicles equipped with wire guided missiles and other heavy caliber, heavy caliber machine guns.
They're pushing further and further out, trying to what they call interdict communications John supply lines leading to and from Kandahar that could be used by the Taliban. Obviously, they're not going to be letting any Taliban or al Qaeda forces escape from Kandahar. And right now their level of alert has not changed and if Kandahar is about to fall, the marines here certainly have not changed their posture, Paula.
ZAHN: Well, let me ask you this, Allen. Bob Franken just reported from the Pentagon that the U.S. government is saying it hopes these reports are true that Mullah Mohammad Omar is about ready to surrender Kandahar. And yet they've made abundantly clear in the past they have found these reports semi-reliable. How credible have you found these reports from the Islamic Press in the last several weeks?
PIZZEY: Well, Paula, we've been hearing these. I've been covering this story since September the 12th and we keep hearing a lot of statements from the Islamic Press. They'll quote, allegedly quote Mullah Mohammad Omar. Then the next day or the next hour someone will contradict it. There's always a germ of truth in these reports. There's no reason to think that he wouldn't back down given the forces that are arrayed against him -- the U.S. military, several anti- Taliban Pashtun militias closing in on him.
But I think it's one of those where you actually have to wait to see it happen. You'll know it's true after the fact. And I think all of these things will be taken, particularly by the U.S. marines here in southern Afghanistan, with a very serious grain of salt, Paula.
ZAHN: Allen, a final question for you, Hamid Karzai, the man who's been chosen to head up the interim government of Afghanistan, is now telling "USA Today" this morning that Mullah Mohammad Omar has asked for amnesty. Have you heard that report confirmed?
PIZZEY: No, we haven't heard that here, but it wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility. Hamid Karzai is a very seriously popular and powerful tribal leader in this part of the country. He's an ethnic Pashtun, as is Mullah Mohammad Omar. Karzai has a lot of support regionally. He also has some backing within, among the Pashtuns along the border in Pakistan.
So he could presumably use his stature, his standing, to say he would offer some kind of refuge to Mullah Mohammad Omar. Remember, the Pashtuns have a code called Pashtunwali, which is what the Taliban used to say they could not give up Osama bin Laden. He was their guest.
If Mullah Mohammad Omar were to become a guest of Hamid Karzai, then Karzai would have to give him that sanctuary and, indeed, it would be very difficult to negotiate your way out of that should anyone want to get their hands on Mullah Mohammad Omar. If he goes under the protection of Hamid Karzai in terms of the Pashtun culture, he's in a very strong position. It's the same as political asylum in our part of the world, Paula.
ZAHN: All right, Allen Pizzey, thank you so much for that update. Glad we finally got that satellite hookup to work. Again, thanks for that update.
We should also make it very clear that the U.S. government has said all along that no amnesty should be granted to Omar or other Taliban leaders. As soon as we have more information on the story, we will bring it to you live.
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