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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pakistan Says 'No' to U.S. Troops in Pakistan

Aired April 02, 2002 - 05:36   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go live to Afghanistan now. The president of Pakistan is there. It is his first visit to Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban, which, of course, Pakistan once supported.

Our Walter Rodgers joins us live from the Afghan capital of Kabul with the latest on this visit -- good morning, Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello Carol.

The leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan today pledged that there would be no sanctuary for terrorists in either of their countries. Still, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf said U.S. troops hunting Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan would be denied any hot pursuit into Pakistan. Mr. Musharraf, the president of Pakistan, said that his troops were more than adequate to seal the border. And he went on to say it would not be in the interest of either Pakistan or the U.S.-led coalition to have any U.S. troops crossing the border in hot pursuit of the al Qaeda fighters.

I asked President Musharraf at one point what he thought might be the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden now and whether he specifically thought bin Laden might be in Pakistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTAN: He would be too obvious to -- he would be located. And, therefore, it couldn't be very practical for him. Therefore, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) he is here. And when he is here, with all the operation that has gone on, I thought since he's somehow evading any kind of -- nobody has access to him or nobody has information on him, I thought probably he is dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: The leader of Pakistan and the leader of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, both said that for this country -- that is, for Afghanistan to be rebuilt after more than 20 years of war, it will take the full backing of the international community. The Pakistani President Mr. Musharraf vowed, of course, that Pakistan will stand shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan. But, again, both men said it's going to take considerable international help to rebuild Afghanistan -- Carol. COSTELLO: All right. Walter Rodgers, reporting live for us from Kabul this morning. We thank you.

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