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CNN Live At Daybreak

Target: Terrorism - Coalition Building

Aired October 02, 2001 - 07:02   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's president gets a briefing from the U.S. ambassador. And there is tough talk aimed at the Taliban. Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to issue a stark warning this morning to Afghanistan's rulers. Sources say Blair will give no time frame, but will tell the Taliban U.S. and British forces will attack and will target troops, military hardware and supplies. Blair's warning is expected during a speech to a Labor Party conference and CNN will carry it live at 9:15 Eastern this morning.

The Bush administration has been briefing its closest allies on the evidence compiled against terror suspect Osama bin Laden. But Pakistan is a special case. So today the U.S. ambassador met with Pakistan's president and personally laid out for him the case against bin Laden.

CNN's Tom Mintier is in Islamabad, Pakistan this morning -- good morning Tom.

TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

That meeting lasted about 90 minutes with the U.S. ambassador going over several issues with the Pakistani president, but providing an oral presentation, as it was termed by the embarrass, of the case against Osama bin Laden by the United States.

Now, this is one of many diplomatic cables that was sent around the world overnight. A special case, as you said, here in Pakistan. The meeting and the briefing was done in person by the U.S. ambassador, basically outlining the investigation in the United States and where the case stands as of today.

Also, there were demonstrations today in Quetta. Despite a ban by the government on demonstrations, thousands of people filled the streets in the center of town and then made their way in front of the hotel where most of the international journalists are staying. They chanted, "Death to America!" and saying that Afghanistan would soon become the graveyard for American troops should they come into Afghanistan.

There was also another demonstration in Kandahar, Afghanistan. That is where the political capital of the Taliban is located. Now, I should point out to you that the video you're going to see is by video phone and it's not the best quality. But in these times getting pictures out of Afghanistan is extremely difficult.

Now, this pro-Taliban rally was definitely anti-American. Flags were burned. An effigy of President Bush was burned and again, the chants, "Death to America! Death to America!" rang through the crowd.

Of course, in Kandahar there is no legislation against a demonstration. As a matter of fact, the Taliban government, I'm sure, promotes it. But here in Pakistan there are laws on the books and being enforced regularly against demonstrations. Just last Saturday there was one here in front of the place where I'm standing right now where about 35 people gathered and they were broken up by the Islamabad police and the leaders of the organization that promoted the demonstration, a demonstration for peace, were taken off to police headquarters -- Paula.

ZAHN: Tom, can you fill us in on a broader reaction the Pakistanis might have had to this information directly linking Osama bin Laden to these terrorist attacks?

MINTIER: Well, I think the Pakistani government has wanted to see what they called the proof. They wanted to see the evidence, whatever that may be. And I can't say whether they were satisfied with the briefing, the presentation made by Wendy Chamberlain, the American ambassador here to Pakistan. But it's something that every time you see a government official, they say when will we be provided the evidence, when will we be shown how Osama bin Laden is linked to this terrorist act in the United States on September 11?

So I think it's something they were eagerly awaiting. The president made reference to it in his speech to the nation over a week ago and he made reference to it in the interview we had with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

So this was a day they had been waiting for. If it is enough, that remains to be seen. But we expect that senior leaders in the Pakistani government will also be briefed by the president later today. The meeting was held this morning, a very, very secret meeting. There were no pictures of the meeting released either by Pakistan television or by the president's office. So this was a meeting. We were trying to find out when it was taking place and we only found out about it after it had already happened.

ZAHN: All right, Tom Mintier, thanks so much for that update. Appreciate it.

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