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CNN Live At Daybreak

Fighting Continues Near Tora Bora; Taliban Flees Kandahar

Aired December 07, 2001 - 06:02   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: We're obviously still waiting on Nic Robertson and I believe we now have him. As we said Nic is joining us from right outside of Kandahar with the very latest -- a little problem getting to you this morning, Nic. What is the situation there now?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it has been a very, very chaotic time in Kandahar today. Our sources there tell us that the day started off with random acts of looting. But by about 8:00 in the morning Afghan time, forces of the new commander of Kandahar -- the forces of Mullah Naqibullah, who the Taliban handed over command to. He represents a group of tribal elders. When his forces arrived, they began to get some of the Taliban out of town.

The Taliban now, we are told, have all left town. The looting has somewhat subsided. However, our sources there tell us that they have seen three dead Taliban fighters in a car, apparently gunned down. And they also say that there was some looting at gunpoint. One car was stolen after -- by one tribe's forces after the people in the car were shot. However, what they tell us now is that relative calm is returning to Kandahar at this time.

They say that tribal forces have been entering the city from the north and also from the east. They're joining Mullah Naqib's forces in the city. And they say they're driving into town in convoys of vehicles with huge flags of the exiled King Zahir Shah waving from the vehicles. They tell us it's quite a celebratory atmosphere at the moment. There has been some firing late this afternoon -- firing in the air of guns in the way of celebration.

We also know that the airport just outside Kandahar has now gone to tribal forces. We know that Helmand province some -- just a little distant from Kandahar province, another large province that had been faithful to Taliban, that has also now gone to tribal forces. We also know that the details that emerged late yesterday, the negotiated deal of the Taliban surrender, were very, very unclear about what would happen to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. But the man who negotiated the deal with the Taliban, Hamid Harzai -- Karzai, the new head of Afghanistan's interim government has today been clearing up some of those details, and he said that the Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar had passed the deadline, he said, for renouncing terrorism and now should face trial.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP) HAMID KARZAI: He has not done that. I've been asking him for the past one month also to renounce terrorism and to condemn the brutalities that terrorism prevented in Afghanistan and in the United States and the rest of the world. He did not do that last night or his last chance before the transfer of power to do that. So he has not and he remains to be committed to his association with terrorism.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ROBERTSON: One of the other issues -- the major issues that was also not clear from those negotiations was what would happen to the al Qaeda members. They were believed to be perhaps as many as 600 Arab fighters belonging to al Qaeda and the Taliban in and around Kandahar City. Yesterday when the negotiations of the -- and the details of the surrender were emerging, it appeared that these fighters were not welcome in Afghanistan and that they were to leave and face international trial. But now Mr. Karzai says that they should be arrested inside Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

KARZAI: The foreign terrorists, enemies are in Afghanistan, the al Qaeda particularly these are criminals of immensely brutal ties. They have committed crimes against the Afghan people. They have committed crimes against the international community, against the people of the United States and other nations. If they are seen, they will be arrested. They will be taken into custody and they must face trial.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ROBERTSON: One of the things that is still not clear as well, as the Taliban departed Kandahar, should they surrender their weapons first, that was one of the terms of the surrender. But it's not clear if they just left town, if they changed sides, if they've handed in their weapons first.

CALLAWAY: Nic, you mentioned Mullah Mohammed Omar. What is known about his location now?

ROBERTSON: Well his location is unknown at this time. Mr. Karzai said late yesterday that he didn't know the whereabouts of Mullah Omar and again that is the situation today. Mullah Omar according to his close associates, about two weeks ago went into hiding. He is believed to be relatively close to Kandahar. The indications are he is likely there. Senior officials that have gone to meet with him, get his counsel, get his ruling on key decisions, have often traveled to Kandahar and then been able to fairly readily talk to him. So it is believed that he is still relatively close to Kandahar, but in a secret location in hiding at this time.

CALLAWAY: And Nic, you did mention that some of the Taliban were allowed to leave and go home yesterday. Any idea of the numbers of the Taliban that were able to leave?

ROBERTSON: We're not clear on the numbers at this time. It's -- very, very many of the details aren't clear. Access -- clear access to the situation, even for our sources in Kandahar has been very difficult. The situation overnight was that Taliban forces were seen leaving. Early in the morning some Taliban were still present in the city. We understand now that they're all gone, but it has been a very, very volatile time for the last 12 or 20 hours inside Kandahar, and a lot of people including the sources that we rely on for information have stayed inside the compound of their houses to avoid some of the wild gunfire that's been going on and some of the random acts of essentially killing and injury through looting throughout the day in Kandahar.

So information -- at this time clarity of information on numbers how the Taliban left the city -- did they surrender their weapons first. Those sort of details not known at this time.

CALLAWAY: All right, stay safe. CNN's Nic Robertson reporting to us on the situation going on in Kandahar.

Let's move now to eastern Afghanistan. That's where anti-Taliban forces are engaged in an intense struggle against al Qaeda fighters. Opposition commanders saying that they're making slow gains in the mountainous region that's called Tora Bora. That's where Osama bin Laden may be hiding and CNN's Brent Sadler traveling with some of those opposition forces and he is joining us now live. What can you tell us on the situation there Brent?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Catherine it's been a fascinating day today in terms of military activity, both on the ground here and in the air around Tora Bora, the mountain range which holds Tora Bora, that complex of tunnels and caves where Osama bin Laden himself might be hiding. There have been intense airstrikes against the Tora Bora area over the past many hours -- the heaviest I have seen since a ground assault began about a week ago.

I spoke a short time ago to Hazrat Ali, who's the commander of this particular area and his troops, he says, are making slow but sure progress. He says there are now confirmed reports from his men that more than two dozen al Qaeda fighters have been killed in the recent fighting and one of the al Qaeda commanders that's claimed by the Afghan tribal forces has been killed.

Now we'll go to try to link up with CNN's Ben Wedeman who's on the front line about four or five miles from here and he's seen some outgoing fire at the front line there from al Qaeda. Ben Wedeman on the front line, can you give me, by radio, the latest situation from there -- over.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brent, since we last spoke we had to leave the area we were in because several mortar rounds came in very close to us. It appears that maybe this is just for the night, but the Eastern Alliance has pulled back most of its forces a good kilometer, at least otherwise they've just been watching (ph) throughout the day these intense U.S. airstrikes, and it's only within the last hour and a half or so that it appears that the al Qaeda positions have opened back up again. SADLER: All right Ben, you had some interference there. Just give me a quick synopsis again of what you said -- outgoing fire is forcing back the Afghan tribal fighters that you're with -- is that correct -- over.

WEDEMAN: That's correct Brent. Several sound mortar rounds came in our direction and basically the alliance forces -- the Eastern Alliance forces have by and large pulled back. I was told by one of their commanders that they have left a token force up in the front line, but by and large their forces have pulled to the rear.

SADLER: All right, Ben Wedeman there obviously with some interference. It's a dangerous exposed area. In fact, this whole zone -- this danger zone is very much remote, barren, not many people around here. There has been one development that I can tell you about -- a significant development, perhaps our cameraman Christian Shrive (ph) with a very ultra long lens within the past few hours took some pictures of what appears to be a deployment of special forces, an unidentified group of non Afghan gunmen with guides and pack animals fully loaded heading up the valley towards Tora Bora at the same time as we were seeing here intensified U.S. airstrikes B-1 or B-52 bombers dropping heavy ordinance -- repeated bombing runs against Tora Bora and the lead-up roads to that area.

So some developments here -- one other piece of news I've just been told about, the Afghan fighters commander here saying they've captured another cave -- a large cave -- a complex -- again, weapons, ammunition captured. So a fluid situation on the ground here. Back to you Catherine.

CALLAWAY: All right, it certainly is fluid. Thank you. CNN's Brent Sadler reporting to us. Also we heard from CNN's Ben Wedeman reporting from the front lines there in Tora Bora in Afghanistan.

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