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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Strikes Back: Afghanistan's Northern Alliance Helps Bombard Taliban

Aired October 08, 2001 - 08:07   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: The Northern Alliance is battling the Taliban from inside Afghanistan, a country about the size of Texas.

And CNN's Matthew Chance is in the northern part of the country -- Matthew, what's the latest from there?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Paula -- that's right.

Well, it could be a new opportunity for the Northern Alliance, of course, at the expense of the Taliban. Throughout the course of today, we've been hearing intermittent artillery exchanges and heavy machine guns coming from the front line to the east of here -- the south of here rather -- north of Kabul.

The Northern Alliance commanders say they've been issued an order by their political leaders not to advance, though, towards Kabul, but to hold defensive positions that, though, despite the fact that the Taliban and their military installations have been hit extremely hard overnight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE (voice-over): The first military strike in America's war on terror witnessed from the Afghan front line. Through our night vision lens, the skies over Kabul light up with Taliban anti-aircraft fire, and for another Tomahawk cruise missile slammed in what Washington says were air defenses and the city's airport.

From the blackouts across the front line, the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance joined the bombardment. Rockets and heavy artillery rained down on Taliban positions, even distant cars escaping Kabul with their headlights on.

ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, NORTH ALLIANCE FOREIGN MINISTER: Up to now, there haven't been reports about civilian casualties or losses of our forces. Areas near the front line has not been struck so far. It has been mainly major targets in major cities of Afghanistan, and yesterday we had warned the civilian population in Kabul to keep away from the military targets.

Towards the capital at dawn, guns still rumbled in the distance. And the Northern Alliance commander, with whom we witnessed the strikes, General Baba Jan, spoke of the high morale in his ranks.

He told me the feeling among these men was that the U.S. attacks were justified [UNINTELLIGIBLE] innocent people were spared. He also said they're waiting for orders expected in days to advance on Kabul, still the ultimate goal for these fighters.

(on camera): There's talk here the next stage in this battle may be securing the mountains over this strategic Baghram Airport. This former Soviet military base, turned front line in Afghanistan's civil war, is just 20 kilometers to the Afghan capital, Kabul. It may prove a crucial launching pad, not just for the Northern Alliance, but also for any further U.S. operations here.

(voice-over): The runway at Baghram, though, is strewn with the shattered remnants of an earlier attempt by a super power to tame Afghanistan. Washington says it has no wish for deeper involvement here. But mistakes could be repeated that have been made in the past.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHANCE: The Northern Alliance commanders say they're in close contact with U.S. officials to try and coordinate any further U.S. action. Obviously, more air strikes are a possibility, but so too is an order for the Northern Alliance forces to make that first advance towards Kabul -- Paula, back to you.

ZAHN: Is that a new order, Matthew?

CHANCE: No, that order hasn't been given yet, Paula. What the order is at the moment is that for these positions of the Northern Alliance, along their front line to be held and to be defended. They are also bombarding with missiles and with artillery shells the Taliban positions across the other side -- some just a few hundred meters from where their positions are.

They said they're waiting to see what the United States does next before they decide on their plan of action.

ZAHN: All right. Matthew Chance, thanks so much for that report.

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