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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Strikes Back: Reports From Kabul

Aired October 09, 2001 - 07:53   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: Well, right now we are going to check in with Taysseer Allouni, who is a reporter for Al Jazeera TV. That is a network that services most of the Arab world that is a satellite news service.

Welcome, sir.

We should explain to our audience that we are going to simultaneously translate his responses into English.

Welcome, Mr. Allouni. Tell us what Kabul looks like today by daylight.

TAYSSEER ALLOUNI, AL JAZEERA CORRESPONDENT (through translator): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Kabul with the exception of the surprise that we see on people's faces because of the rocket attack that happened last night and that led to the death of four civilians. Perhaps you have seen some of the images with images of the destroyed building which belongs to a humanitarian organization that specialized in mine clearance. It's called Mine Paki (ph). I think that this organization is supported by Germany, but the individuals who were killed inside it were Afghanis from the Afghani employees who worked with this organization.

With that, except for that, things are going on as normal in Kabul, with the exception of, there's a, the fact that there are, there's a noticeable reduction in the number of the population of Kabul. And I estimate the number who have left to be between 30 and 35 percent of the population.

Today after the missile attack which took place last night, we have noticed that some people are packing their belongings and are traveling out of the capital.

ZAHN: Are they trying to make it to the border of Pakistan or where are they going?

ALLOUNI (through translator): At the moment the immigrants, the people who are leaving are fewer in numbers, especially as the Pakistani authorities have closed the borders with Afghanistan two weeks ago. Most people go to villages nearby Kabul and to this mountainous and desert districts. Some of them also live in camps, in tents. They do so because they believe that they will be safe from the bombardment that's been going on. ZAHN: Mr. Allouni, what other damage have you seen today?

ALLOUNI (through translator): The damage we have seen and we have photographed so far are here in one of the radars and a missile battery and we have taken film of that. And it seems that some Taliban officials have seen those images and we got into trouble with them because of that.

Other damages were of a poor house in one of the poor areas of Kabul and we think it was caused by a missile, but we're not sure of the cause of that damage. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

ZAHN: Mr. Allouni, there are reports...

UNIDENTIFIED TRANSLATOR: I can't hear the interviewee.

ZAHN: Let me try again and please be patient with us, audience. This is important because Taysseer has seen a lot more than many correspondents in the region.

Taysseer, there have been reports that one of the Taliban's top ranking religious leader's homes was targeted, as well as Osama bin Laden's home. Can you confirm that they were hit?

ALLOUNI (through translator): If we are talking about the city of Kabul, then I don't know anything about a Taliban leader who was targeted. With regards to Kandahar, the house of the leader of Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has been targeted for the second time and also his office was targeted, according to the information that we've received from Kandahar.

ZAHN: And you talked a little bit about some of the workers in the region. There are reports that aid workers' vehicles have been confiscated. Have you seen any evidence of that?

ALLOUNI (through translator): We haven't seen anything to prove that. We only know by being told by an employee of the foreign ministry that they told us that they have stopped foreign agencies from having contacts. But the telephone between Afghanistan and Pakistan is still working. But it does get cut from time to time.

They have stopped such agencies from using wireless communication, but they could use walkie-talkies.

ZAHN: You mentioned that a number of Afghan refugees were trying to flee Kabul, going to nearby villages. And yet behind you it appears as though there are children playing in the street with a ball.

ALLOUNI (through translator): The number of -- we are unable to count the number or know exactly what the number is. But it's worth mentioning that the people who are leaving at the moment are leaving with difficulty. It's very difficult for them. And the reason why many families have remained in Kabul is that they are too poor to travel. They don't have enough money to rent a car or take taxis to move them outside the capital or to other countries, Pakistan or Iran, for example.

Secondly, most of the people if asked, and we've asked them why they haven't left the capital under those stage of circumstances, they said first the -- a large number of them told us that, that they don't have enough money to travel and they don't have somewhere to go to.

So poverty has prevented many people from leaving the capital.

ZAHN: A Taliban official told CNN earlier today that supreme Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is still alive, as is Osama bin Laden. Have you had any contact with Taliban leaders?

ALLOUNI (through translator): The information we received from Kandahar didn't mention anything regarding Mullah Mohammed Omar. As for contacts between Taliban and Mullah Mohammed Omar, as far as we know, they were existing before the Taliban movement announced, just announced before that it controlled the movements of bin Laden and controlled communication, or, to be more precise, confiscated his communication equipment.

These previous statements from them we can ascertain that there's constant contact with bin Laden. But over the past three days we haven't been able to establish whether they've been in contact with him or not.

ZAHN: Mr. Allouni, Mr. Rumsfeld, the U.S. defense secretary, said yesterday that the U.S. is working with folks on the ground who would like or who were interested in expelling Mr. Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Based on your knowledge of the area, who is the most or what is the most obvious group to assume power if the Taliban is wiped out?

ALLOUNI (through translator): Yes, the groups that may be cooperating either with the British or American forces or other forces are the groups that support the Northern Alliance, which is against Taliban, and the opposition groups are present in Kabul and are present in other Afghani cities, especially in the north.

Before the Taliban movement was able to confiscate a number of weapon depots and arrest some people after it discovered that they had contacts with the Northern Alliance. Some field leaders, commanders who have joined the Taliban came from the Northern Alliance and it seems that they have brought information with them about the groups that are present here in Kabul.

So the groups that are most likely would cooperate with British and American forces are the groups that support the Northern Alliance.

ZAHN: Taysseer Allouni, we really appreciate your insights this morning. Thank you very much for your time.

And just a reminder of what an electronic feat that is to be able to have simultaneous translation going on. Thank you for your patience with us as we tried to establish that shot.

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