Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

U.S. Being Asked to Train Hamid Karzai's Bodyguards

Aired July 22, 2002 - 14:13   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: Turning now to security concerns for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The U.S. is being asked to train Karzai's bodyguards. This follows several threats against Karzai, and the assassination of an Afghan vice president.

With more on this, our Nic Robertson joins us live from Kabul -- Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, at the moment, Kyra, President Hamid Karzai has the same security detail the last president had, and when he took over this job, he didn't complain. We are told he just accepted that security detail. They come from the north of Afghanistan.

From what we understand, there's no question about their loyalty to the president. What we are being told is that U.S. advisers are being asked to come and train the security officials. These security officials, we're told, excellent fighters. They fought in the Mujahedeen days against the Soviet Union. But what Hamid Karzai spokesman is saying although they are good fighters, not good at security. They're expecting perhaps about 40 or 50 technical specialists, trainers, to come here. The training could last for these security detail -- the security detail could last, we're told, between 3-6 months. It's not clear if all those trainers will be military personnel, or perhaps some of them will be drawn from the United States Secret Service. But certainly the security of the president here very much a concern for those around him at this time -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Is Karzai receiving a lot of threats? And if so, what kinds of threats?

ROBERTSON: We're not being told about any specific threats at this time. There is obviously concern here that there still hasn't been any serious arrests made in the assassination of the Vice President Haji Qadir a couple of weeks ago. So his killers are still out there, and the feeling is, is that President Hamid Karzai is often the man here who is put in the position of making critical decisions. He has just this weekend recently removed the mayor of Kabul on suspicions of corruption. There's a possibility people would like the mayor to be put back in place.

There's no assessment here that there's a threat drawn from this particular incident, but what people are saying is clear, that the president has to make critical decisions, and that could earn him enemies. And because security of the city has been proven in the case of Haji Abdul Qadir to be weak enough to allow his assassination, then therefore, it's possible that could happen to the president, so the concern is very much there -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, Nic, you say the U.S. will train Karzai's bodyguards.

U.S. soldiers, Secret Service? What type of training?

ROBERTSON: We don't know at this time. That's not being made clear to us. We do know that the U.S. military forces here are already involved in training the new Afghan National Army. Now the first battalion, some 300 men, from that force graduate tomorrow. We were talking to some of them just a few days ago, and their first assignment is going to be to the presidential palace.

So these newly trained Afghan national army forces, they've had 10 weeks training on the military ranges, trained to work in teams, trained to work with individuals, trained to run toward the enemy, seek out the enemy. So they had specific U.S. training. But even their trainer say they need more time. But this first Afghan national army battalion sent to work with and secure the president here.

PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson, live from Kabul. 11:00 p.m. at night there with the dark background. He's working late for us.

Nic, thanks so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com