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CNN Live At Daybreak

Concerns Raised About Northern Alliance's Conduct

Aired November 14, 2001 - 06:33   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Things are changing by the hour on the ground in Afghanistan, a lot going on. Let's go to CNN's Tom Mintier who's standing by in Islamabad, Pakistan for the very latest from there. Tom.

TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Catherine there's a lot going on here in Pakistan as well. General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, called a meeting of his senior cabinet leaders this afternoon to talk about the situation in Kabul and in Afghanistan itself. Also on the agenda was the status of the Taliban's embassy here in Pakistan and you might remember, it's the only embassy remaining that the Taliban has outside of Afghanistan, and there has been a lot of speculation about the future of that embassy.

Now the deputy ambassador in an interview with CNN says they are still open and operating, but the ambassador yesterday was recalled to Afghanistan and traveled to Kandahar. Now the ambassador was seen inside Pakistan this morning by a CNN staffer up in an area near Quetta.

We were told by the deputy ambassador that indeed he was in Afghanistan in Kandahar yesterday and was probably going to return to Kandahar again tonight. So again, the president's meeting does have on the agenda what to do about the Taliban's embassy here. They're also in that meeting, I'm sure high on the agenda, is the situation in Kabul and the Northern Alliance and the fears by the Pakistanis that in their advance towards Kandahar that they might come up to the border with Pakistan at the Khyber Pass in Turkam (ph). So there has been concern in recent days of what to do if indeed the Northern Alliance did indeed take Kabul and what to do if indeed they made their way and replaced the Taliban at the border with Pakistan.

So waiting to see what developments occur out of that meeting. But again, the foreign ministry this afternoon, once again called on the United States to establish very quickly a multi ethnic government in Afghanistan and to ensure that the Northern Alliance didn't form a government. Pakistan sees that as a threat to Pakistan, instead wanting to see the United Nations come in and form an administration inside Afghanistan and be principle in putting together a multi ethnic government. Catherine.

CALLAWAY: You know we are reporting that former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani may be returning to Afghanistan. What are you hearing, if anything, from Islamabad on that? MINTIER: Well so far nothing really. I think that that is probably part of the discussion that is going on. I'm sure that Pakistan has heard the same things we have heard and I'm sure it will be on the agenda of the president's cabinet meeting that has started about two and a half hours ago. That should be wrapping up now. So I would think that they see that as a disturbing sign and we'll just have to wait and see if indeed it does happen and what Pakistan's response is.

CALLAWAY: Thank you for following the situation. Tom Mintier joining us from Islamabad, Pakistan.

Leon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CALLAWAY: Northern Alliance leaders say they are committed to establishing a multi ethnic government based in Kabul, but the actions of their troops could create diplomatic problems. And foreign affairs correspondent Gaby Rado reports now on the - on how claims of reprisals by Northern Alliance troops are sparking fears of another Afghan civil war.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GABY RADO, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: The collapse of the Taliban in Kabul, a defeat mirrored in the eyes of these prisoners brings with it huge risks, not just for the routed enemy, and persistent reports speak of the massacre of at least 100 pro Taliban- Pakistani fighters in Mazar-e Sharif, but also for the chances of avoiding yet another Afghan civil war.

Amid the worldwide reaction to the past 24 hours events, Tony Blair reminded the Northern Alliance that they owed the U.S.-led coalition a favor.

TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN: There has been a combination of the Northern Alliance forces supported both by people on the ground from the coalition and by bombing from the air and the basis on which that support was given is very clear and that remains the case. And I think you will find as the situation progresses over these next few days that everybody understands that the success of regime in Afghanistan has to be broad based to be successful.

RADO : Alliance troops have swept through northern Afghanistan. Towns have fallen in a domino effect. Today's capture of the capital of Kabul and Jalalabad followed gains wide across the north from Herat in the west, Bamian in the central highlands and, after fierce Taliban resistance, Kunduz has now fallen to the alliance.

The southern half of the country, crucially Kandahar and the surrounding mountains is normally under Taliban control, but their support is crumbling by the hour. The fear is that amid the jubilation the Northern Alliance may now set up its own administration disregarding other ethnic groups. To allay those concerns, alliance leaders today spoke with inclusiveness. The worry now is that there's de facto partition in Afghanistan along ethnic lines. With the Northern Alliance, mainly Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Harzaris in northern Afghanistan, and the Taliban mostly Pashtuns to make up 40 percent of the population in the south.

The idea that the former King Zahir Shah, who is a Pashtun may become a figurehead in the future government was revised today. In recent weeks due to internal squabbling, western hopes for a role for the king had appeared to fade. He made it clear today he was politically against the Northern Alliance's presence in Kabul, and their reputation was also attacked from the human rights point of view.

MARY ROBINSON, U.N. HIGH COMMISSION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: There is a pattern of violation and a number of those who are leading the Northern Alliance have very bad records of violation to human rights, and I'm extremely concerned that they might be part of a future power structure.

RADO: At the United Nations, the timetable for setting up a credible vision of Afghanistan's future have to be drastically speeded up. Detailed talks about a broad-based government to take over from the Taliban have already taken place between Afghanistan's immediate neighbors plus the U.S. say and Russia. The plan has as its aim a multi-ethnic, politically balanced, freely chosen government and some Taliban representation is not ruled out.

In visit there's a peacekeeping force in which Muslim countries are to play a prominent part and the United Nations may take immediate control of Kabul to avoid interfactional fighting in the capital.

MARK MALLOCH BROWN, U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: Well some kind of U.N. peacekeeping presence, but I think, you know, the very large peacekeeping forces that you have in mind from some other countries and operations take a long time to put together, and we don't have a long time. We're talking now days and weeks, not months.

RADO: Today hardly anyone is talking about Osama bin Laden who is still somewhere in Afghanistan. He's the guest for whom the Taliban regime is paying such a heavy price. But to satisfy western public opinion, the coalition's war on terrorism must continue until he and his al Qaeda network are eliminated.

Perhaps that's the mission to which these mysterious westerners, some of them armed, arrived at Bagram Air base north of Kabul today. The presence of special forces inside Afghanistan is now openly admitted.

(on camera): Although the main feeling here at the London-Afghan embassy is one of jubilation, it is tinged with some bitterness. As far as they're concerned, it'd have to take a lot of American lives on September the 11th for the world to wake up to many years of misery for more than 20 million Afghan people.

The Northern Alliance leadership represented here say that a great deal of time and a lot of lives have been wasted. Gaby Rado, Channel Four News at the Afghan embassy.

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