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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: Pakistan's Pivotal Moment

Aired September 18, 2001 - 09:50   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.
PAULA ZAUN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we head to Islamabad, Pakistan, where Christiane Amanpour is on duty right now with the very latest from there.

Good morning, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Good evening from here, the Pakistani capital.

You know, as the United States is marshaling its allies around the world trying to build a coalition, the focus really here is on Pakistan at the moment, and it is a pivotal moment for this country. It's under enormous pressure to do what it can to leverage the Taliban into giving up Osama bin Laden. It has sent a very high-level delegation to Afghanistan, led by the head of the intelligence services, a man named General Mamud (ph). They have been there since yesterday.

We've been told by the foreign ministry that they have returned now from Afghanistan within the last hour, and we await their analysis and the result of their meeting there.

We were told by the foreign ministry that General Pervez Musharraf himself, the Pakistani president, had conveyed a letter that he wrote personally is insisting, we are told, in very forceful terms that time was short, this had to be resolved, and that the Taliban had to do everything that needed to be done to address the concerns of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIAZ KHAN, FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN: The purpose of the delegation was not negotiations. The purpose of the delegation, I made it clear, was to convey the gravity, the seriousness of the situation, to convey the message of our president to the leader the Iran (ph) leader, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and also to appeal and say that they should be responsive to what the international community expects of the Iran (ph) government. And we hope that there would be taking a decision in the best interest of the Iran (ph) people and Afghanistan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: So now all eyes are on the Taliban and what their response will be. My colleague, Nic Robertson, is just across the border in Kandahar, the seat of the Taliban power.

Nic, have they responded at all? And how are they coming to their decision making?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Taliban (OFF-MIKE) as they carried (OFF-MIKE) yesterday as they heard these issues before (OFF- MIKE).

(OFF-MIKE) Taliban (OFF-MIKE). Mohammed Omar has called for all the religious leaders in Afghanistan, that's some six (OFF-MIKE) religious scholars (OFF-MIKE) will be meeting (OFF-MIKE) we understand (OFF-MIKE) from the foreign ministry (OFF-MIKE) as well (OFF-MIKE) are still (OFF-MIKE) Kabul (OFF-MIKE) they arrive they will (OFF-MIKE) issue (OFF-MIKE) Osama bin Laden (OFF-MIKE) how Afghanistan should (OFF-MIKE) United States (OFF-MIKE) be attacked (OFF-MIKE). But also understand that this meeting could last (OFF-MIKE) days. The reasons is (OFF-MIKE) religious (OFF-MIKE) works (OFF-MIKE) on the basis (OFF- MIKE) anonymity. That's like a democracy (OFF-MIKE) you would know in the West (OFF-MIKE) Congress (OFF-MIKE) carry in this (OFF-MIKE) religious scholars (OFF-MIKE) agree it has to be unanimous. So they may spend several days where perhaps 400 of (OFF-MIKE).

AMANPOUR: OK, Nic, I'm sorry, we're having very bad audio problems. As you can imagine, those of you watching and listening, it is incredible technology that is bringing Nic Robertson from Afghanistan, and sometimes there are certain problems with the audio.

What basically I think he's saying is that they are convening, they're preparing to convene a meeting of their religious scholars; this is how they generally make their decisions, particularly on such matters of dire consequence as they face right now. And that's apparently is getting ready to get underway.

It is extremely difficult, as we can imagine, in country with no infrastructure to gather all these people who they say they have to have in order to make a decision that will stick.

As for Pakistan, the moment here for General Musharraf and the government is very, very sensitive. They are convening -- certainly, President Musharraf is convening various members of the establishment, members of the press, members of the religious community, the academics and the intellectuals, and some politicians to assess from them what the country is saying here about the potential consequences of this action and to tell them which way the government is leaning and what is the situation the government is in. Pakistan has made a decision to stand with the United States and it is letting the country know that. We know that the United States has made several demands and we've been told that Pakistan has agreed to share intelligence, to provide airspace and logistical support. We don't know exactly what that would be yet, and they apparently haven't been told the exact details of any logistical support if in fact there was to be a military response in Afghanistan over this issue -- Paula.

ZAUN: Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much for that update. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com