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CNN Live At Daybreak

Tension Mounts Between India and Pakistan; Hard Christmas in Afghanistan

Aired December 26, 2001 - 06:01   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.
HOLLY FIRFER, CNN ANCHOR: Troops are on the move on a couple of different fronts this morning. U.S. Marines are preparing to leave southern Afghanistan to search for al Qaeda in the Tora Bora region. In that other world hot spot close by, the Pakistani army is on high alert as forces move to the border with India.

U.S. officials say the movement of marines into Afghanistan's eastern mountains is imminent. The marines seen here outside the Kandahar airport would take part in the cave-to-cave search for Osama bin Laden and other top al Qaeda leaders. U.S. Special Forces familiar with the area will accompany the marines.

Now let's get details on the increasing military build-up along the Pakistani-Indian border. CNN's Michael Holmes tells us what's behind this latest conflict between two uneasy nuclear neighbors.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: India and Pakistan moving troops in large numbers to their disputed border in Kashmir along the line of control in the Himalayan Province, and also along the international border between the two countries. Diplomats and military officials say it is the largest build-up in many years, but neither side is saying how many troops are on the move. The leaders of both countries are talking, however, about their readiness for war.

ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): There is concern in many countries across the world that if there is a war between India and Pakistan, then what will happen. Their concern is natural. We don't want war, but war is being thrust upon us and we will have to face it.

HOLMES: The tough talk from India's prime minister in a speech to a gathering of the youth wing of his Hindu Nationalist Party on the occasion of his 77th birthday. Across the border in Pakistan, another birthday and more tough talk. At a event marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of Pakistan's founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, President Pervez Musharraf spoke about the challenges Pakistan is facing today.

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN: We confront an external and internal challenge, but let me assure my countrymen that your armed forces are fully prepared and capable of defeating all challenges by the grace of Allah.

HOLMES: The rhetoric and troop movements have been building since December 13th, when a suicide squad attacking the parliament (ph) building killing 14 people including the five attackers. India blames Pakistan-based militants and is demanding Pakistan crack down on the groups. Pakistan has condemned the attack and over the weekend briefly detained a leader of one of those groups, Masood Azhar of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Pakistan has also frozen the assets of the other group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba.

But even as Pakistan takes steps to ease tensions, its army and India's have been shelling each other's positions and hundreds of Indian villages have been fleeing their homes near the border near Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

Michael HOLMES, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIRFER: For more on the build-up of forces along the Indian- Pakistani border, we're joined now on the phone by our Islamabad bureau chief, Ash-Har Quraishi -- Ash-Har.

ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN ISLAMABAD BUREAU CHIEF: That's right Holly, what we've been hearing is largely what the government has been telling us. They've been fairly tight-lipped about movement alongside this border. Officials are only going as far as to say that they have been responding to what they see on the Indian side as massive troop movement.

Now military sources are telling CNN that armored vehicles and artillery have been moved to the border along with some movement with the Air Force. The Air Force have moved their planes from the main bases to auxiliary bases. Now that's normally done in times when war is imminent, so they're taking front positions with their -- with the Air Force.

And as Michael's report pointed out, Pakistan has been responding to demands by India that it crack down on these terrorist organizations that they have called on. They've actually accused these organizations of perpetuating the attacks on Indian Parliament. Now what we're hearing now is that the Laskkar-e-Tayyaba assets have been frozen, as Michael reported, and that the leader of the Jaish-e- Mohammed is under arrest in a jail in Punjab.

Now, we're still waiting to hear what Indian reaction to these two steps are. Pakistan is hoping that this will open the lines of communication -- Holly.

FIRFER: Ash-Har (ph), this morning we understand India's cabinet committee on security is going to meet and take some diplomatic roots to this conflict. Do you know if Pakistan is doing the same?

QURAISHI: Well, Pakistani officials we've spoken to are still -- they're waiting for some sort of response from the Indian government. What we've heard is that the government has -- feels that it has given some -- given some of the demands that India has made and is waiting for India to make some more demands or to accept what they've already done.

We've also heard that the Indian side is saying that they need more visible evidence that Pakistan has done more to crack down on these terrorist groups -- Holly.

FIRFER: With such a long history of war, what makes everybody think that perhaps now this would be the time that they would come to the table and negotiate and maybe perhaps once and for all have peace in the region.

QURAISHI: Well border skirmishes and cross-border firings are not unusual here. This has been ongoing for over 50 years now. But there's a lot at stake in this region right now. Both countries do have nuclear powers and we've heard from both sides that both governments are hoping that there is some diplomatic solution to what's going on here.

Analysts are saying that this may be an excuse to flex their muscles and show each country what they have on their side. But officials that we've spoken to in the Pakistan government say that they're hopeful and that they're actually trying to keep the lines of communication open so that they can avoid any further escalation -- Holly.

FIRFER: Have you heard anything on that part as far as the U.S. getting involved -- any words there?

QURAISHI: Well, the Pakistan government has called for some international mediation. They're hoping that the United States will put pressure on India to what they say reduce the escalation that they feel is aggressive from the Indian side -- Holly.

FIRFER: OK. Thank you. Usher QURAISHI in Islamabad.

Children in a country at war often grow up too fast.

QURAISHI: Thank you.

FIRFER: But as CNN's Nic Robertson reports there are hopes Afghan youngsters may be able to regain their lost childhood.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(INAUDIBLE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hospital is no place to spend Christmas, not that Kamin (ph) will notice -- for one, he's a Muslim and secondly, he is an Afghan child -- harder to be more forgotten at this time of Christian generosity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

ROBERTSON: Besides his rolling in agony this eve of celebration, because like so many Afghan children, he thought he could get away with playing around with live ammunition. With some persuasion on our part, he is taken away for surgery to more permanently staunch his bleeding wounds. Not far away in the mortuary, his friend was less fortunate, caught with the full force of the exploding bullet they've been toying with.

Children gather around the rock where less than an hour before Kamin (ph) was injured and his friend killed. They say they know better.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

ROBERTSON: Spin Gar (ph) says at school they teach us to leave bullets and mines alone. He adds my brother was injured by a mine. Indeed, they all seem to know what the dangers are. Somehow, though, perhaps because children will be children, accidents do happen -- two dozen a week in this tiny town.

That's not to say children don't have fun. This dirt roadway could be anywhere in a developing world -- soccer seemingly every boy's favorite.

"I want to be a footballer when I grow up," Sulieman (ph) says, although today he sports an Osama bin Laden T-shirt.

When you ask if they know Manchester United, they all explain, "we don't have TV, so we don't know any stars."

Children are too busy to play too much, Haksirilla (ph) says. They have jobs in the market. It seems to be true youngsters are a common site plying various trades, hoping parents make ends meet. Childhood here does seem to end early.

A visit to the toy store tells a tale too. The children like to come and look, says Samsadin (ph) the storekeeper. Toys were forbidden inventory under the Taliban. Everything less than $5, about one-third the monthly income of a doctor. Not an LED or computer game in sight.

Low -tech is just fine if that's all you're used to. After all, every child does have a favorite plaything. Choosing here made simple, you can't play with what you don't have. Perhaps by next Christmas things could be better. More toys to go around, less accidents to happen. By the grace of global charity, maybe a child's luck here could improve.

Nic Robertson, CNN, Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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