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CNN Sunday Morning
Mass Graves Found North of Kabul; Security Forces Fired Upon in Kabul
Aired April 07, 2002 - 08:36 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the war in Afghanistan. International security forces came under rocket fire in Kabul. Also, north of Kabul, mass graves have been found in one province.
Our Walt Rodgers joins us now live from Kabul with those stories.
Hello, Walt.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.
Whoever fired that rocket at the international security forces' base east of Kabul was a lousy shot. It missed completely. The rocket overflew the base. It was a 107-millimeter Chinese-made rocket. The trajectory was too high. It may have glanced off a building 200 meters the other side of the base. And then the rocket appeared to tumble another 200 or 300 meters, falling harmlessly in an empty field. An investigation is underway, but this is yet another reminder that Afghanistan is a country where full security is far over the horizon and not in the immediate present by any stretch of the imagination.
Afghanistan remains violent and unstable. A further reminder of that coming out of Bamiyan Province. A report from the governor's office in Bamiyan Province alleging that perhaps as many as 35 or 36 bodies have been found in a single grave reportedly from the days when the Taliban was here. The United Nations has sent a team of investigators to Bamiyan Province to investigate those charges.
Joining me now is Manoel de Silva, the United Nations spokesman here in Kabul.
Mr. de Silva, does the U.N. believe these reports are credible of mass graves?
MANOEL DE ALMEIDA E SILVA, UNITED NATIONS SPOKESMAN: Yes, we were first told of this situation late on Friday. Yesterday, all day Saturday, we had contacts (UNINTELLIGIBLE) over radio and phone. And this morning, we sent a team of our people, along with representatives from the Minister of the Interior, to look at it firsthand, come back and make recommendations.
RODGERS: Has your team reported back yet? DE SILVA: No, not yet.
RODGERS: Do you believe these reports or rather do you believe -- do these reports bother you, that is the gravity of them, 35, 36 bodies, one grave, maybe many more?
DE SILVA: I don't know numbers yet. But of course the fact that people were killed, most likely, probably under a violent situation, is bothersome. But details, forensic exams and all that will be even -- we'll find out more later.
RODGERS: If it turns out to be true, and this is a Hazara province of Afghanistan, would that not point the finger of responsibility, because the Hazaras are Shiite (ph) Muslims, they're the victims, would that not point the finger of responsibility at the Taliban who are Sunis that hate the Shiites in this part of the world?
DE SILVA: We'll have to see what the exams will show us. But what the local folks there told us since Friday is that this would have happened, according to them, in the very last weeks of the Taliban regime.
RODGERS: Thank you very much, Manoel de Silva.
We've been talking with Manoel de Silva, the United Nations spokesman here in Kabul, Afghanistan. Two investigations underway at this time, again, one the United Nations, once the -- one the Afghan government, allegations dual -- allegations of more blood at the hands of the Taliban.
Back to you, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, our Walter Rodgers with the latest there on the war in Afghanistan. Thank you.
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