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CNN Live At Daybreak

Efforts To Set Up New Afghan Government Inching Along

Aired November 29, 2001 - 06:10   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: While the battle goes on inside Afghanistan, the efforts to form a new government for that country go on just outside of Bonn, Germany, and that's where we find our CNN's Berlin bureau chief, Bettina Luescher, covering that for us.

Bettina, how are those efforts going? I understand there has been some progress.

BETTINA LUESCHER, CNN BERLIN BUREAU CHIEF: Daryn, as one U.N. spokesman said today, they are inching towards an agreement, so there is cautious optimism there.

But what we have heard from sources is that the two main groups -- that is the Northern Alliance who, of course, over the last two weeks has swept the Taliban from power and therefore in a very strong negotiating position here in Berlin, and the delegation representing the former king of Afghanistan -- basically agreeing in principle that a transitional supreme council should be created. That council could be between 120 and 200 people strong, but also, you know, the spokesman telling us, you know, that they still need to work out all of the details, who should be on it, how strong it should be, what authority it would have. So as often in these conferences, the devil is in the detail.

What we are also hearing is that in a little over two hours, there will be a full plenary session of all of the delegates, and meeting together then around the negotiating table with the U.N. special representative, Lakhdar Brahimi -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Another big story coming out of Germany, what could be a key arrest, at least a first in the investigation of what took place on September 11 -- Bettina.

LUESCHER: Yes, German authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Moroccan electronic engineering student, and he is accused of logistically supporting a terrorist group, and to that terrorist group belonging Mohammed Atta and Marwan Al-Shehhi, among others, who, of course, are the two pilots who crashed the plane into the World -- the planes into the World Trade Center.

We got an exclusive interview a few weeks ago with Mounir El Motassadeq. Back then, he told us that his friends had nothing to do with the September 11 attack, that it was all a setup. He also said that there was nothing special, that he had a power of attorney to the bank account of one of the pilots. German authorities are now saying that on that account, money was transferred to finance the United States visit and the flight training of one of those hijackers -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Bettina Luescher, just outside of Bonn, Germany -- thank you for updates on both of those stories.

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