Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Pashtun Leaders Press Attacks on Kandahar Airport

Aired December 04, 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.
ANAND NAIDOO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

And the breaking news out of the Middle East we have is that there have been renewed Israeli air attacks against targets in Gaza, Palestinian targets. These attacks have been taking place over the last 30 minutes.

Now, of course, the other big story that we're covering, the war in Afghanistan.

And for the latest on that we're going to go now to CNN's Jim Clancy. He's in the Afghanistan capital, Kabul -- Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anand, we're looking over the situation. Intense fighting reported in Kandahar, that southern Afghan city that is the stronghold of the Taliban. U.S. air strikes continuing almost around the clock in and around Kandahar. At the same time tribal leaders, ethnic Pashtun leaders pressing their attack as well.

The airport is half in control of the ethnic Pashtun fighters, the anti-Taliban forces. Fierce fighting there according to one commander. He said the troops are almost face to face, with the Taliban that has vowed to fight to the death.

Meantime to the north, the forces of Hamid Karzai, the ethnic Pashtun leader that has been named, at least tentatively, to head up a new interim government in Afghanistan, his forces said to be making progress against the Taliban, but the Taliban saying that they have killed many of their fighters around the north of Kandahar and that they have seized some of their vehicles.

Of course, none of this can be confirmed.

Meantime, U.S. marines at Camp Rhino were joined by an unknown number of Australian troops who landed earlier on Tuesday. Those Australian forces already had a liaison officer in place, as do the Germans right now. The troops, the marines continuing to dig in there at Camp Rhino southwest of Kandahar. They are also said to be conducting reconnaissance missions out into the desert.

Now, the exact mission of these marines is not known. They are, of course, within striking distance of Kandahar. But no sign right now that they are going to be used for any direct assault on that, as we have described it, the last Taliban stronghold -- Anand.

NAIDOO: Jim, you're right there in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Could you give us some idea of what the situation is on the streets of the capital?

CLANCY: Well, there's a lot of reaction, of course, this day, Anand, to the talks in Bonn. Many people here are looking forward to seeing some kind of a resolution to the political situation here. They are gaining confidence in the future of Afghanistan, but they are still very worried. They are concerned, too, about the situation because so many of the people that are gathered in Bonn are expatriates that haven't lived here. They've been living in exile. As a result of that, they fear they don't understand the situation on the ground.

And when I say the people of Kabul are a bit nervous, they're living in a city that was destroyed by the very Northern Alliance internal fighting in 1992, not the Taliban, not the Soviets. That is what caused much of the destruction in this city. They are taking a wait and see attitude as to what comes out of Bonn. Still, they remain hoping for the best -- Anand.

NAIDOO: All right, Jim, thank you.

Jim Clancy talking to us there from Kabul in Afghanistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com