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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Strikes Back: Interview of Imran Kahn, Pakistani Opposition Leader

Aired October 18, 2001 - 08:19   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: We are getting reports from the war zone that the latest bombing of Taliban targets may be easing up.

For the latest on the military mission thus far, we turn to Christiane Amanpour, who has been watching events from Islamabad.

Good morning again, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Paula, we're getting reports now that Kabul is under another wave of bombing raids. We have been told earlier today that the bombing was relatively lighter than the reports we've had over the last three days, when they reported very heavy bombings in different parts of Afghanistan. An "Associated Press" local reporter says that in Kabul he believes one Taliban tank unit was targeted, as well as other military installations.

We have received pictures from Al-Jazeera. They were not taken to military installations, but to a civilian location. They say they were shown houses, and they say they show civilian casualties, and the Taliban is claiming civilian casualties.

The same also in Kandahar, where also, we're being told, that the bombardments were targeted on a Taliban commando unit. Those are the details we have of that.

Here in Islamabad, we have seen fiery anti-American protests over the last few days, but today there was a different kind of protest. Professionals came out onto the street. They were peaceful. They were calm. They were orderly, but nonetheless, they were against this bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

Joining us now to talk about public opinion is Imran Kahn, the internationally renowned former leader and captain of Pakistan's cricket team and now a political leader here in Pakistan.

Imran, when President Musharraf decided to stand with the United States, he took all the political leaders in, and I think you said that he's the right man for the right moment. Now two weeks into the bombing campaign, what are you hearing from the street? You've been traveling around?

IMRAN KAHN, PAKISTAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Unfortunately, the feedback is not good, because the majority of the people now, the sympathies they had with the United States after the 11th of September attacks now are switching towards the sympathy for the Afghan people. And the more they hear about the bombing, the more the feeling against United States and this bombing in Afghanistan is growing in this country.

AMANPOUR: And how do you think that will proceed? The majority of the people in this country, they don't want sort of a fundamentalist Taliban style regime, do they? So what are they expecting out of this?

KAHN: Most people in this country think that it was the wrong way to go about fighting terrorism, because the moment you bomb Afghanistan and the moment you see civilian casualties on television, people are too closely linked with the people of Afghanistan. This is centuries-old connection. There are families across the border, tribes divided into two countries.

So all of us here felt that perhaps a war of nerves at one part of the tactics and the other should have been a moral war, showing more evidence against Osama bin Laden, proving to everyone that he is responsible for those attacks.

Unfortunately this second (INAUDIBLE) not enough evidence wasn't shown to the public, and as a result, the public is sort of seeing this Osama as a little David against the big American Goliath, and the sympathies are tilting -- a disturbing development here.

AMANPOUR: Do you think that explains the contradiction in a recent poll we had? "Newsweek" says that there's a growing support for Musharraf, while at the same time, a growing support for the Taliban against the United States.

KAHN: Well, it's amazing, this paradox. But the reason is that Musharraf feels that, in the circumstances, he had no choice. He had to do this. He had to go along with the world community. And so there's even sympathy for him in the sense that he's helpless.

But at the same time, as this sympathy is switching to the people of Afghanistan as opposed to the Taliban, the differentiation is not clear in the outside world, but people here care about the people of Afghanistan, although the majority of the people don't agree with the Taliban version of Islam.

AMANPOUR: Imran Kahn, thank you very much.

And public opinion is what the United States certainly is going to be watching very closely as it continues this campaign, Paula.

ZAHN: Christiane Amanpour, we look forward to your interview with Donald Rumsfeld at 1:00 p.m.

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