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CNN Live At Daybreak
America Strikes Back: Taliban Ambassador Remarks on Attacks
Aired October 09, 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.
HEMMER: Now from overseas, live in Islamabad, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan with us now, Abdul Salam Zaeef. We have been talking with him off and on for the past three weeks, almost four weeks as of today.
Sir, is Osama bin Laden still alive?
ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF, TALIBAN AMBASSADOR TO PAKISTAN: Yes, he is alive and he is in Afghanistan, but he is not in the location which is known to the people and he is in another location place for his security.
HEMMER: So you're saying he still is in Afghanistan. In addition to that, is Mullah Mohammed Omar, is he alive as well?
SALAM ZAEEF: Mohammed Mullah, he is alive also and he is also in Afghanistan, but not in his place, his office, and he is also in -- around some places and his life is healthy as (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and he is in Afghanistan.
HEMMER: Is there any change in the Taliban position? The U.S. and its allies have demanded turning over Osama bin Laden. Will that happen?
SALAM ZAEEF: There is not any training camp and any terrorists. America only claim. This is not true. This is false. And we can talk with them and we call on them, they should provide the evidence and proof to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. But they would not present to this evidence and proof.
I think they have not any evidence, only they are wanted to snitch the Islamic system from the people of Afghanistan and to control this area and the central area. No change in our policy because our policy is according with the Islamic law and Islamic law is completed before 1,400 years ago. There is no need to the change. We are standing on the law of Islam and this is our policy and it's not possible to change this policy in the future.
HEMMER: So in a word, then, the answer is no?
SALAM ZAEEF: No.
HEMMER: What are you hearing about fighting on the ground relative to the Taliban troops? Are they able to fire back? Are they able to communicate with each other throughout Afghanistan?
SALAM ZAEEF: Yes, still the communications continue and before one hour I can talk with the ground answer, you know, with Kandahar. And so there was no problems and there is some attacks on the ground and around the ground. But there were not any casualties from these attacks and I communicated with relatives. This is continued. We have communicated among the people, among the people which have responsibility for the communicate.
HEMMER: Yes, sir, I'm just trying to understand this, just so we're specific on what we're saying and what we're hearing here. You're saying about casualties on the ground, just to be clear, what are you hearing about Taliban troops? How many casualties have they suffered?
SALAM ZAEEF: I told you no casualties there or from the troops of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This ground war is working for the attack. We know the attack will be continuing and we want to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) our soldiers or troops from these attacks. And there is no casualties still. Only the casualties, the building of some things was -- a building, also. Only the old buildings and they are strike that this would be casualty and not the human kind of casualty there.
HEMMER: All right, we're also getting reports that four U.N. workers working in the capital city of Kabul were killed after the most recent strikes. Was the Taliban using the building in which they were operating as cover?
SALAM ZAEEF: We get these reports also. Last night and strike, the hut, the building of ATC, which is working in the demining. And the building collapsed and there died about four people with the other facilities some -- like cars. And they collapsed the building. And we, the authority wasn't present to this time, only they come to the -- this place every morning.
HEMMER: Also getting reports, sir, that some Taliban troops are deserting and leaving their posts and positions and in some cases turning themselves over to the Northern Alliance in the northern part of Afghanistan. How often is this happening?
SALAM ZAEEF: This is all funny, I think, and the opposition accounting of the fighting attacks. This was not funny. The opposition of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan don't place in the heart of Muslim's people and they are not loved to the people to surrender some people to them. And only the continued propaganda against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to be high the moral and not any warning against, among the people, among the Taliban, and the Taliban is really -- they are really stronger and they are ready for defeat any invasion which is coming on them. And this is not true, only the form of propaganda.
HEMMER: Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan with us live in Islamabad. Sir, please come back because we certainly want the information and want to share it with our viewers both here in the U.S. and around the world. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador.
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