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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pentagon Reacts With Cautious Optimism to Fall of Kabul

Aired November 13, 2001 - 05:30   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: Well talking more about the withdrawal of the Taliban from Kabul and the Northern Alliance advance to that area, the Pentagon, of course, we go to Brian Nelson to find out where U.S. officials stand on all of this and if they are monitoring the situation.

Brian, good morning.

BRIAN NELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Kyra. The U.S. military officials are reacting cautiously to the events on the ground around Kabul. Of course, they're very pleased, but they're also concerned. They say there may be some pockets of resistance -- Taliban resistance still in the city and so that could spell trouble ahead, but the main prevailing mood is happiness about the turn of events and the course of the war.

And on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE", the secretary of the army talking about the fall of Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS WHITE, SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: But we should remember that the strategic objective is the destruction of bin Laden, the network of bin Laden in the country and the Taliban government that supported him. So if he's headed west, that's where we're headed as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NELSON: Just, you might want to recall a month ago, the Northern Alliance held control of about five percent of the country that was all squeezed up into northeastern corner of Afghanistan and now after a string of victories, which include Mazar-e Sharif, the Northern Alliance effectively controls the northern half of the country. So that's one big jump in the amount of territory that the Northern Alliance now claims after simply about 30 days.

The Taliban resistance in Kabul cracked, of course, after enduring punishing artillery strikes from the Northern Alliance and also from U.S. B-52s and other U.S. aircraft dropping bombs on the front line positions just north of the capital. But the big concern today regards the introduction of Northern Alliance troops inside the city of Kabul.

Now you may recall over the weekend President Bush and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld both issued warnings to the Northern Alliance not to go inside that city. Of course, their fear is that there might be a settling of accounts -- a blood bath and they want to make sure that things remain in place so that diplomatic efforts can arrange the formation of a broad coalition government -- something that could ensure Afghanistan's long-term peace.

And in fact, Secretary Powell said on the weekend -- on Monday as well that Turkey, Bangladesh and Indonesia all predominantly Muslim countries have offered forces for an international peacekeeping force under the United Nations control. So we'll have to see where that one goes, but that's the big concern today what happens on the diplomatic effort and those efforts may have to be speeded up.

Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right Brian Nelson from the Pentagon, thank you very much.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Lots of questions there. Did the Taliban retreat because of self preservation concerns or is this a strategic move on their part? And, where's Osama bin Laden?

PHILLIPS: Yes, but the million-dollar question.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: There you go. The key question there.

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