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CNN Live Today

Interview with Jane Macartney

Aired March 19, 2002 - 14:44   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: For the better part of six months now the world has watched the conflict in Afghanistan unfold on TV and in newspapers. On September 14, our next guest went to Islamabad, Pakistan to help coordinate coverage of the region for the Reuters News Agency. She's also a contributing correspondent for a new book called "Afghanistan: Lifting the Veil." Jane Macartney joins us live today from New York.

Good afternoon, Jane. Good to see you. Before we get to the pictures -- and really, it's an excellent book, by the way, I must say. Based on your knowledge of the region, why is it that a country like Afghanistan is so ripe for someone like Osama bin Laden to set up shop and operate, and do it effectively?

JANE MACARTNEY, FORMER REUTERS ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: I think it's a country that has been very much ignored by the West and the rest of the world for many, many years, particularly after the Soviet invasion. And this left it open for tribal war, for rival fiefs to try to grow, and for chaos. And in that chaos it was easy for people from outside to come in, to bring in their money and to exert influence.

HEMMER: Jane, we here in the U.S. have known about bin Laden for years. Do regular Afghans, were they aware of his involvement in that country?

MACARTNEY: Very, very vaguely. They were aware that there were a lot of foreigners. They tended just to called them Arabs, generically. They knew these foreigners were there. They knew they had a lot of influence. But they didn't really know what they were doing there.

HEMMER: We have some pictures here from the book, about eight of them. And as we put them up here I'm going to have you talk over the pictures, quickly. The first shot, Marines of the U.S. embassy in Kabul, when this was rededicated recently.

MACARTNEY: This is a shot that was taken by our correspondent in Kabul, who stayed there throughout the war, working alone doing television pictures like this, and was there when the Taliban tried to tear down the seal, which then was -- which remained. And as you can see in this picture, when the embassy was reopened it was still there when the Marines came back.

HEMMER: The next picture here, that's exactly what you're talking about.

MACARTNEY: That's the one.

HEMMER: Moving on to a chopper at sunset now, Jane.

MACARTNEY: This was taken when correspondents moved in with the ground forces to Kandahar, that place that everyone's now heard of.

HEMMER: We apologize. Our technology is a little slow, here. There we go! Go ahead, Jane. I apologize.

MACARTNEY: Yes, this one. This photo was taken by our photographer, who went in with the first troops. There were just a couple reporters who went in. And to help a country where you can see people like this, with almost no money, women who lived by begging on the streets in burqas. And the aim was to try to restore peace in a land where people hadn't had enough to eat, and ways go to school because of war for many, many years.

HEMMER: I'm assuming this is a return to dignity of sorts, for some.

MACARTNEY: This is. Women could go to the beauty parlor. This was the first time in many years that they could do this openly without fear of being lashed for such a thing. And here you have a young boy flying a kite. This wasn't allowed under the Taliban, because it meant, when you flew kites, you stood on a roof. And from a roof you could see women in the house next door. And so they weren't allowed to fly kites.

This is from Tora Bora. We had correspondents all over the country throughout the war and of course, during the Soviet invasion. And this is one of the Northern Alliance fighters who was taking part, working with the Americans, trying to attack the caves around Tora Bora.

HEMMER: Amazing images. Quickly here. I think a lot of people in this country believe that Afghanistan can be changed and the U.S. has a large role in that right now. But I've always been under the impression that it's up to the Afghan people to make these changes and set the course right for their own country. Are they right now willing to do that?

MACARTNEY: I think the Afghan people are desperate to change their own country. And they're really delighted to have the opportunity to do so. But they also know that their country has been devastated by war for many years. And I think they feel that they're going to need outside help. That's very unusual for Afghans. They've always stood alone.

But this time I think they know that they're going to need a lot of aid, a lot of support, and peace, that can be provided by the countries around them, including the United States, to ensure that that development happens.

HEMMER: I agree with you. Jane Macartney. Great book, too. Again, dedicated to journalists who were killed back in November traveling in Afghanistan. "Lifting the Veil." Great images. Jane, thanks. Best of luck to you.

MACARTNEY: Thank you.

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