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CNN Live At Daybreak

Northern Alliance Advancing on Kabul

Aired November 12, 2001 - 05:02   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And as Leon just mentioned, that Northern Alliance troops have been ordered to advance on Kabul.

We get more now from Matthew Chance. He's in northern Afghanistan -- hello, Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of military activity here in northern Afghanistan, with sources inside the defense ministry of the Northern Alliance telling us that the order has been given for their forces to advance on the Afghan capital, Kabul. I want to stress that publicly, Northern Alliance officials are saying no such order has given --has been given.

What we can tell you, though, what we can confirm is that throughout the course of the day we've been seeing thousands of troops pouring towards the front lines here north of the Afghan capital, backed by tanks and heavy guns and armored personnel carriers. Also, we've been witnessing a ferocious artillery barrage from the Northern Alliance positions here, towards those Taliban front line positions. Also, a bit of incoming fire from the Taliban over to the Northern Alliance positions here where we're standing, as well.

We do have pictures, also, of what appear to be Western military advisers, apparently coordinating air strikes of the U.S.-led coalition on those Taliban front line positions. Of course, there has been concern expressed in Washington by President Bush that Kabul should not yet be taken by the opposition Northern Alliance, although he encouraged those forces to move south across the Shamali Plains here towards the capital.

Northern Alliance officials have said they will stand outside the gates of Kabul until some kind of ethnically broad-based government is agreed for the future government of Afghanistan.

We're obviously watching the situation very closely and we'll bring you the latest details as soon as they filter through to us here.

Matthew Chance, CNN, northern Afghanistan.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And we know the folks at the Pentagon are watching the situation just as closely, if not more so.

Let's check in now with Brian Nelson, who's there this morning -- hey, Brian, good to see you again.

BRIAN NELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. Good to see you, too.

Not much here. We still have no confirmation yet that there's any move by the Northern Alliance to make a move within minutes or even hours on the capital city of Kabul. A spokesman for the U.S. Central Command, when we last checked, said he was unaware of any such decision made within the Northern Alliance.

Still, there have been several signs that such a move might be coming. U.S. B-52s bombed Taliban positions overnight, Sunday and into Monday morning, Kabul time. Northern Alliance forces have also been closing in on Kabul since the fall of Mazir-e-Sharif on Saturday.

But on Saturday, President Bush made it clear that the U.S. does not want to see the Northern Alliance enter the city. The fear is of a bloodbath that could severely complicate and even ruin delicate efforts to form a broad coalition government from among Afghanistan's ethnic tribes.

And U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also yesterday described what's at stake.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: All people can do is express their best hopes that there will not be carnage when it's occupied, as has happened before. That there will be food for those people, because we have to care for their terribly difficult circumstance. And that when it -- that it'll happen sooner rather than later.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NELSON: Meanwhile, as sailors from the USS Enterprise settle in at home after their return last week, those on the USS John C. Stennis -- I'm sorry, I said the Enterprise. I should have said the Enterprise. But those on the USS John C. Stennis carrier battle group are preparing to deploy in a few hours from now.

The carrier, nine other ships and submarines, 80 aircraft and 8,500 sailors and marines are going to leave six weeks ahead of schedule to join Operation Enduring Freedom, and we will have more on the Stennis carrier battle group in a few minutes time.

Now let's go back to Atlanta and once again here's Leon.

HARRIS: Brian, one quick question here. Now that the Northern Alliance has been, I guess, moving now towards Kabul, if not entering that city, what is the Pentagon saying about other coalitions to be built further, let's say, in the south part of the country, because they've got another move down there to make?

NELSON: You know what? We are not hearing much of anything this weekend about anything. Particularly, I think the Pentagon is focusing on the north at the moment, and we're hearing very little about what's going on in the south.

HARRIS: All right, good deal.

Brian Nelson at the Pentagon this morning, thanks.

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