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CNN Live At Daybreak

Confusion in Kabul Over Peacekeeper Agreement

Aired December 31, 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.
TOM HAYNES, CNN ANCHOR: An agreement is now in place for international peacekeepers to patrol in Afghanistan.

CNN's John Vause is in Kabul with the details -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Tom. Well another 50 British troops have arrived here on the streets of Kabul. They came down from the Bagrham Air Base, which is about an hour north of the capital. They'll join about another 160 British Royal Marines who have been on the ground here for quite some time. They arrived before the December 22nd swearing in of the interim administration.

Now there seems to be a little bit of confusion between the Afghan government and the British. Last night Dr. Abdullah, the foreign minister here, the Afghan foreign minister did in fact say that agreement had been reached on the final details. You may recall the December 7 meeting in Bonn. They agreed, in principle, on the multinational force to protect and support the interim administration. They let the details be worked out later on.

Last night Dr. Abdullah seemed to give every indication that the details had in fact been worked out, but one British source tells CNN that they are in fact still working out -- quote -- "the nitty, gritty details". Now those details are, of course, the number -- numbers of troops and what their responsibilities will be. It certainly appears as if they will be working under Chapter 7 of the U.N. charter, which gives those British troops and any other international troops who will be on the ground here in Afghanistan, the right to use force and the right to -- the right to self defense.

But as to the final details, this British source telling CNN that the agreement certainly isn't -- hasn't been signed and will be signed soon, but hasn't actually been signed between the Afghan government and the international community. So, some confusion there at this stage between the Afghan government and the international community in particular the British -- Tom.

HAYNES: What could be the sticking point in that agreement if one is signed?

VAUSE: Well it seems as if there are a number of members within the new interim administration's cabinet who object to the size and the responsibility of the peacekeepers. There's a number of ministers in particular the defense minister and his deputy defense minister who believe that their role should be limited, that the numbers should be limited. They should be here for just a short time.

In fact, the Deputy Defense Minister, General Dostum for one believes that they should only be on the ground for six months. The Defense Minister, General Fahim also believes, he's stated publicly in the past, that their role should be limited to humanitarian and symbolic roles and that they should be kept out of sight. And they should be mainly kept at the Bagrham Air Base, and that they shouldn't be seen on the streets of Kabul.

So that could be some of the issues, which are still to be hammered out. It seems as if Dr. Abdullah may have jumped the gun, at least initially. Tom.

HAYNES: All right, CNN's John Vause in Kabul for us. Thanks very much for that report.

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