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CNN Live At Daybreak
America's New War: News Update From Pakistan
Aired September 20, 2001 - 08:14 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 ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, I would like to check in with Christiane Amanpour, who joins us from Islamabad, Pakistan.
What else have you learned, Christiane?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, word is that the Grand Council, so-called of the Taliban religious scholars, has ended and certain decisions are filtering out from Kabul, Afghanistan, in that they say that they are asking the Taliban political leadership to in turn ask Osama bin Laden to leave Afghanistan for another country at a suitable time.
They also say that they urged the United States not to attack and not to come to any hasty decisions without an investigation. And they go on to say that if an attack does take place on Afghanistan, well, then they will deem it their duty to conduct a holy war.
In some preliminary analysis from a senior Middle Eastern leader, that statement from the Taliban religious leadership may be fairly significant in that it is the first time the Taliban religious leadership or any leadership has declared publicly Osama bin Laden persona non grata by asking him to leave. This may give some ammunition and some help to leaders in this region, who are faced with religious opposition over their decision against Osama bin Laden and to side with the United States -- this, of course, preliminary analysis. Others believe that the statement coming out of Kabul is simply buying time and sort of trying to gain their own sort of moral high ground with these preliminary decisions that they seem to have made.
In Pakistan, we asked people at the university here, who make up an important and significant segment of public opinion here, what they thought of their president's speech last night trying to rally them around his decision to join the United States in this coalition against terrorism. And at the university, we found that a majority of people sided with the president here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that he has no other alternative (UNINTELLIGLBE) to cooperate. So because we are all -- the Pakistanis, we all are against terrorism, and we want to smoke him out of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Osama. So we are with (ph) the president, and we want to cooperate with the Americans. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Taliban are not our allies. They are not -- they are a burden on us. They are a financial burden on us, you know. They have never helped us in any way. They don't listen to us all that much either. And I don't understand why we are poking our fingers at Afghanistan (ph). It's none of our business. They have the whole of the world against us. Everybody hates Muslims. They think we are from the (UNINTELLGIBLE), which we are not. They are presenting a very, very wrong picture of Islam.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, as I say, the majority of the people we spoke to in a gathering earlier this morning supported that line. On the other hand, there were others who also supported the global combat against terrorism, but urged caution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they are convicted terrorists, they have solid proofs and evidences, then we are ready. We condemn terrorism everywhere. Even if our brothers are involved in this, we condemn them. But if there is not any solid proof and evidence, then you can say that it is by itself a terrorism, a strike (ph) terrorism if America and other countries attack on Afghanistan without any solid proof. Then you -- it is also a form of terrorism, which is called scare (ph) terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: Now, as you know, U.S. officials say that there is plenty of evidence against the man that they have called the prime suspect. They say, for instance, evidence of the attacks on the U.S. embassies in '98 has all been brought out in court in the United States.
Now, what's happening here is that everybody is waiting to see which way, really, public opinion blows in terms of support for the government. And one key test will be tomorrow, when a general strike is being called, and there is the possibility of demonstrations. The test will be whether these spin out of control, whether they are excessively violent, and what the government does to keep them contained -- Paula.
ZAHN: What would the government do, Christiane, if they go out of control? Impose martial law?
AMANPOUR: Well, nobody is making that suggestion at this point. And what we've heard is, though, from all sorts of officials that they say -- quote -- "security measures are in place."
We have seen a few sort of preliminary barricades around certain areas, more of a sort of a discouragement than anything else, because they're fairly sort of flexible barricades. But we do know that there is a big police presence, and police are ready to be out at these demonstrations. We have also been told by one of the key Islamic party leaders here that they plan a peaceful protest, they told us. And that it would not be an anti-American protest per se, but rather a protest against Pakistan's siding with any potential attack on Afghanistan -- Paula.
ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, thanks so much for that update. We will be checking in with you as well throughout the morning.
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