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CNN Live At Daybreak

Eastern Provinces of Afghanistan Change Administrations; Bloodlessly Remove Taliban from Power

Aired November 15, 2001 - 05:16   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: Of course, CNN correspondents are staying on top of the rapid developments in Afghanistan.

CNN's Carol Lin is keeping an eye on the south near Kandahar from the Shaman border. We hope to have a report from her, but right now we're experiencing some technical difficulties.

So we're going to begin our extensive coverage with CNN's Bill Delaney. He is in the Khyber Pass, watching developments in the north near Jalalabad -- what's the latest from there, Bill?

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thank you, Catherine.

You know, despite widespread disarray among the Taliban in Afghanistan, serious pockets of resistance remain, including in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, not far from where I am. I'm a couple of hours down the road in Pashawar in northern Pakistan. You go from here through the Khyber Pass into the eastern provinces of Afghanistan, which yesterday bloodlessly ended their allegiance to the Taliban. Five provinces simply changed administrations, appointed local elders and former Mujahideen to positions of authority in these five provinces.

Now, Taliban who lived in the region simply returned to their homes. But some are stranded, including some thousand Taliban on the road between the important eastern capital of Jalalabad and the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, a thousand fighters who can't move south because of mountains and can't move west or north because they would encounter the Northern Alliance.

They are there and they are a wild card, like some 1,800 Arab fighters, formerly with the Taliban in these eastern provinces. CNN sources inside Afghanistan say these Arab fighters have moved south from the town of Jalalabad. They are armed and dangerous and very isolated right now. They have no longer allies in the eastern provinces, nor are they wanted here in Pakistan.

So a very fluid and insecure and ultimately dangerous situation still despite the bloodless end of Taliban authority in these eastern provinces -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Bill, can we take it that the sense in Jalalabad is not the same as in Kabul right now? DELANEY: I'm sorry, Catherine. Can you repeat that? I couldn't understand that.

CALLAWAY: Can you tell us what the situation is inside Jalalabad right now?

DELANEY: Well, of course, we're a couple of hours away from there by road, if we were able to drive through the Khyber Pass. But we do have reports that Jalalabad is peaceful, although there was quite a dramatic evacuation of Taliban from that city yesterday.

And as I say, these wild cards, these some 1,800 Arab fighters and some 1,000 Taliban who are trying to get out of the region are heavily armed and could even, some speculate, mount some sort of a counter-offensive on Jalalabad. But our reports at the moment are that the city is basically under the control of the new administration and calm -- back to you.

CALLAWAY: All right, CNN's Bill Delaney.

Thank you, Bill.

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