Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Hunt for Bin Laden
Aired January 29, 2004 - 09:33 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: Pakistan's President Musharraf has backed the U.S. in the fight against al Qaeda, but at considerable risk to him. There have been several attempts on his life. And with us now, Barnett Rubin, a consultant on Afghanistan for the U.S.
Nice to have you here.
BARNETT RUBIN, U.N. AFGHANISTAN CONSULTANT: Thank you.
HEMMER: What do you make of the timing for this, spring offensive?
RUBIN: I think that, of course, when the snow melts, as Barbara said, they expect more people to come across the border. But it's particularly important, because most of the intelligence seems to indicate that the most active basis for al Qaeda in particular are in an area called South Waziristan (ph), in the Pakistani tribal territory, along the Afghan border.
HEMMER: Why take this so publicly at this point?
RUBIN: I'm not sure. But the indications I'm getting is that the United States military really feels that they're not going to be able to be successful unless they can get to the sanctuaries of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan.
HEMMER: What is the risk for Musharraf, if he allows U.S. special forces to come on to his soil? If that word gets out, how much of a chance is he taking?
RUBIN: Special forces are already working there with the Pakistan military. I think what they are talking about now is the possibility of a larger deployment.
He is subject to a lot of opposition from the public and his military, because of the way he's allowed the U.S. to use bases in Pakistan, his changing Pakistan policy toward Afghanistan, and now the softening apparently of his policy toward India and Kashmir. If he allows U.S. troops actually to operate in Pakistani territory, that will have two problems. One, of course, there will be a nationalist reaction. But second, the areas they want to work in are tribal territories where even the Pakistani military itself has not operated until very recently.
HEMMER: I know one story that has gotten your attention that really has not been on the radar recently. He went after some Taliban leaders recently, right, arrested them? Where did that take place? What was the fallout from it?
RUBIN: Well, for the first time, although Pakistan has arrested a large number of al Qaeda leaders, they haven't arrested any Taliban leaders. But they arrested two fairly important Taliban leaders in a place called Chaman (ph), which is on the boarder with Afghanistan, and it appears that that may indicate some change, a hardening of policy toward Taliban operating out of Pakistan, probably as a result of U.S. pressure, and also after the two attempts on his life by militant groups that the Pakistani government used to use.
HEMMER: It's difficult to avoid this question. It's an election year here in the U.S. Democrats charge the U.S. should not be in Iraq, but they should rather be in Afghanistan hunting down Osama bin Laden. How much truth do you think it is to those who claim this is just politics?
RUBIN: Of course it's not just politics, because any U.S. president, whenever it was, would be trying to find the perpetrators of September 11.
I would imagine that President Bush would very much like for many reasons, including political ones, to, you know, have the two No. 1 wanted men in the bag before the election. But I think what's maybe more political is the attempt to force Afghanistan to have elections, even before the U.S. elections, even though the conditions there are, if anything, more difficult than in Iraq, where we say it's impossible.
HEMMER: Barnett Rubin, thanks for coming in talking with us. Pleasure talking with you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 29, 2004 - 09:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Pakistan's President Musharraf has backed the U.S. in the fight against al Qaeda, but at considerable risk to him. There have been several attempts on his life. And with us now, Barnett Rubin, a consultant on Afghanistan for the U.S.
Nice to have you here.
BARNETT RUBIN, U.N. AFGHANISTAN CONSULTANT: Thank you.
HEMMER: What do you make of the timing for this, spring offensive?
RUBIN: I think that, of course, when the snow melts, as Barbara said, they expect more people to come across the border. But it's particularly important, because most of the intelligence seems to indicate that the most active basis for al Qaeda in particular are in an area called South Waziristan (ph), in the Pakistani tribal territory, along the Afghan border.
HEMMER: Why take this so publicly at this point?
RUBIN: I'm not sure. But the indications I'm getting is that the United States military really feels that they're not going to be able to be successful unless they can get to the sanctuaries of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan.
HEMMER: What is the risk for Musharraf, if he allows U.S. special forces to come on to his soil? If that word gets out, how much of a chance is he taking?
RUBIN: Special forces are already working there with the Pakistan military. I think what they are talking about now is the possibility of a larger deployment.
He is subject to a lot of opposition from the public and his military, because of the way he's allowed the U.S. to use bases in Pakistan, his changing Pakistan policy toward Afghanistan, and now the softening apparently of his policy toward India and Kashmir. If he allows U.S. troops actually to operate in Pakistani territory, that will have two problems. One, of course, there will be a nationalist reaction. But second, the areas they want to work in are tribal territories where even the Pakistani military itself has not operated until very recently.
HEMMER: I know one story that has gotten your attention that really has not been on the radar recently. He went after some Taliban leaders recently, right, arrested them? Where did that take place? What was the fallout from it?
RUBIN: Well, for the first time, although Pakistan has arrested a large number of al Qaeda leaders, they haven't arrested any Taliban leaders. But they arrested two fairly important Taliban leaders in a place called Chaman (ph), which is on the boarder with Afghanistan, and it appears that that may indicate some change, a hardening of policy toward Taliban operating out of Pakistan, probably as a result of U.S. pressure, and also after the two attempts on his life by militant groups that the Pakistani government used to use.
HEMMER: It's difficult to avoid this question. It's an election year here in the U.S. Democrats charge the U.S. should not be in Iraq, but they should rather be in Afghanistan hunting down Osama bin Laden. How much truth do you think it is to those who claim this is just politics?
RUBIN: Of course it's not just politics, because any U.S. president, whenever it was, would be trying to find the perpetrators of September 11.
I would imagine that President Bush would very much like for many reasons, including political ones, to, you know, have the two No. 1 wanted men in the bag before the election. But I think what's maybe more political is the attempt to force Afghanistan to have elections, even before the U.S. elections, even though the conditions there are, if anything, more difficult than in Iraq, where we say it's impossible.
HEMMER: Barnett Rubin, thanks for coming in talking with us. Pleasure talking with you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
