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CNN Live At Daybreak

Target: Terrorism - Tracking the Taliban

Aired October 04, 2001 - 07:14   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, meanwhile in Afghanistan, the Taliban are apparently anticipating a military strike on their country and they are making some preparations to protect themselves. We don't have a reporter with the Taliban at this moment.

But CNN's Walter Rodgers is next door in Islamabad, Pakistan with details on that as well as perhaps potentially a trip by Prime Minister Tony Blair -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, let's start with Afghanistan.

There continue to be reports coming across the border to Pakistan, which is essentially our listening post here, and those reports suggest that there has been a deterioration of the Taliban's position over there. There are continuing reports reaching Pakistan, for example, that the Taliban is moving its headquarters out of Kandahar in the southern part of Pakistan, out into the countryside on the fear that there might be U.S. military strikes against Kandahar, which has been a major base and major center for the Taliban all along.

Worse for the Taliban, if these reports are true, there are indications there have been defections by various tribal leaders away from the Taliban, people who just want to sit out this fight when it comes and wait and see which side it's best to break on.

The other thing which is most interesting is there are indications that the Taliban may be even losing control of certain parts of the countryside in eastern Afghanistan. It's not good news for the Taliban. Of course, this certainly does not bode a defeat for them. It may just mean a restructuring and a reposturing, waiting to see what the United States has in store for them.

Very interestingly here in Pakistan, a short while ago the foreign ministry had a news conference. It announced that the United States has now come up with sufficient material for the Pakistanis to conclude that any court of law would come forth with an indictment against those responsible for the attacks in New York. Of course, the Pakistanis did not mention Osama bin Laden by name, but they said there's sufficient material for an indictment in a court of law -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Walter Rodgers in Islamabad, thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com