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CNN Live At Daybreak

America's New War: Developments in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Aired September 27, 2001 - 07:12   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: Pakistan is trying to rally its people in support of the U.S. war on terrorism. Today's so called day of solidarity follows talks with U.S. military officials on Pakistan's role in any military action.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us from Islamabad with the latest -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, indeed, although the majority of public opinion here seems to indicate that people do support their government's stand, the government has felt it necessary to organize a pro-government rally of unity and solidarity, as they're calling it. So this is going on around the country in stadiums here in Islamabad, on the streets, in various other towns. It's variously drawn thousands of people to some locations, hundreds to others.

It's gone off peacefully. There were some fears that there might be anti-government attempts to disrupt these rallies as one actually was disrupted yesterday in the big city of Karachi. But, as I say, it's gone off very peacefully.

Now, we've been talking also to senior Pakistani officials who have an intimate knowledge, really, of the Taliban and their capability. And with all of these claims from the Taliban that they've got hundreds of thousands of people under arms, we've tried to assess from the government what exactly that means.

They believe there are huge stocks of weapons such as guns and ammunition that do exist in Afghanistan and that much of this may have been given to village defenders to put up sort of a home defense in their villages if they're attacked. But they don't by any means think that this constitutes a regular standing army or one that is able to mobilize as a proper army for any major formations.

Now, CNN's Mike Chinoy is in Peshawar, which is much closer to the Afghan border -- and Mike, what are you hearing there about what's going on in Afghanistan?

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christiane, we are getting some very, very interesting reports from across the border, reports which one senior aide worker with intimate familiarity with Afghanistan described as signs of the beginnings, the possible collapse of the structure the Taliban has imposed on Afghanistan. These reports suggest that many middle and lower ranking officials and soldiers of the Taliban are walking away from their posts. Indications are that far fewer checkpoints that have been manned by Taliban troops on the roads are now being manned.

One very interesting report that the Madrasas (ph), the religious schools where young Afghans have been trained in the teachings of the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, they were closed in order to allow those young men to join the military force the Taliban is trying to mobilize. But the reports we are getting suggest that many of those young men have either headed for the countryside back to their villages or headed here towards Pakistan because they don't want to fight with the Taliban.

A report as well that a council of tribal elders in the important provincial city of Khost (ph) wrote a letter to the Taliban authorities demanding that any Arab fighters allied to bin Laden in their part of the country be removed because, the letter said, we don't want to be attacked by the United States.

One other interesting final note, the Afghan currency, the Afghani, has strengthened considerably against the Pakistani currency, the rupee. Analysts say that's a sign that traders and money dealers are hoping of better times to come as the U.S. pressure on the Taliban increases -- Christiane.

AMANPOUR: Mike, that's very interesting information because it sort of dovetails with quite a lot of what we're hearing over here and it's fascinating to hear what may be shifting inside that territory. And, of course, there have been these periodic statements by the leader of the Taliban there, Mullah Omar, and the last one was, in fact, he said in a broadcast that was then, or in a statement that was then picked up by the press agency, to all Afghanis to come back from the borders and come back to the towns. And the reason he gave was that there didn't seem to be any threat of an American attack.

So that was an interesting message, as well. And it sort of dovetails with what you've been saying about people sort of perhaps abandoning them.

In any event, that'll have to be closely watched and, of course, it is difficult for us outside at the moment to get a full assessment, but that's fascinating anecdotal evidence there -- back to you, Paula.

ZAHN: Thank you both.

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