Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

America's New War: Taliban Clerics Meeting to Decide bin Laden's Fate

Aired September 19, 2001 - 09:38   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we are going to check in with Christiane Amanpour in Islamabad, Pakistan as nightfall falls there.

Christiane, do you have any information coming out from the clerics meeting that are either under way or expected to happen?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, apparently it is under way in Afghanistan. However, you know the Pakistanis sent a very high-level delegation, which returned yesterday, and they returned empty handed. Basically, they were giving a very strong message, according to officials here, that the Taliban had to do what the international community expected of them. And they apparently -- quote -- "listened very politely," and they did not make any response. They said would take decision at this religious gathering that they have called. That is how they made their decisions basically over there. And there's no way of knowing when that will end or what the decision will be.

But the Pakistani officials saying that do not hold out much hope the Taliban will agree to hand over Osama bin Laden -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right. I want you to clarify something else, too. It had been reported that the Taliban was demanding that the United States give the Taliban any evidence directly linking Osama bin Laden to these terrorist attacks. I understand, now that didn't come directly from the Taliban, that came through other channels?

AMANPOUR: Well, yes, all very sort of nebulous what goes on there. What basically happens is that the Taliban have been issuing statements all week about various things they've been saying. But in this specific meeting, which was the first face-to-face meeting between an international official, in this case, the head of the Pakistan Intelligence Service, a meeting between him and Mullah Omar, who leads the Taliban, there was no demand made. On the other hand, Taliban has said that in the past, that they want evidence. Plus, you know, the United States says that it has provided compelling evidence in the past of attacks against U.S. assets, that it has suspected Osama bin Laden of carrying out.

And just one other thing in terms of the atmosphere here in the Middle East, what many, many people are saying is that if Osama bin Laden was responsible for that, then he should pay for that terrible, terrible outrage that was committed last week. And the Pakistani leadership is hoping that the United States lays out its evidence in a way that makes it -- makes the Pakistani leadership and other Islamic countries there able to sell to their people in advance of any military retaliation -- Paula.

ZAHN: Of course, it remains to be seen how reactive the U.S. government will be to that demand. Obviously, very concerned about sharing intelligence with any countries at this point. If you could, we understand President Musharraf will be addressing the Pakistani people later, on your clock, this evening. Can you tell what he plans to say to them?

AMANPOUR: Yes. He is in about two hours from now will given a address to the nation. He'll speak in his own language. I want to say that, because it's important, because he generally speaks in English. But this is particularly specifically directed to the Pakistani people, not at the moment to the international community. But he is -- we are told by people who have been talking to him and meeting with him that this is to spell out exactly why he and the Pakistani leadership have taken this strategic decision to stand with the United States and to join what's being termed this "coalition against terror."

Pakistan, which in the past, has been a solid U.S. ally, has had problems with the United States for the last 10 years, has been sort of ostracized for many reasons, including supporting the Taliban the cost of not siding with the rest of world too high for Pakistan to bear, that Pakistan does not want to be left alone with the Taliban against the rest of the world, and that they hope that perhaps this affords this the possibility of opening up a new chapter in relations with the United States and the rest of the world -- Paula.

ZAHN: I know the last time I spoke with you, you were saying that Pakistan officials are expecting even more dialogue to go on. If and when these clerics make their mind about how to respond to these demands, do the Pakistanis in fact expect a second delegation to go over to there to interface with the Taliban?

AMANPOUR: So far not. And they've been very clear in their public statements, that they did not go over to negotiate or to have any long sort of involved conversations with the Taliban. The head of intelligence service carried a letter that was written by the president of Pakistan, basically saying this is the very serious situation you find yourself in, this is what the United States and the international community expects of you, and this is what you need to do very soon in order to avoid a big disaster as they put it for the Afghan people and for Afghanistan. And one of the officials said today that we hope and pray and those were his words that the Taliban leadership decides to put the fate of Afghanistan and Afghan people to the forefront in their decision making.

ZAHN: All right, Christiane, thanks so much. We'll be coming back to you shortly before Pervez Musharraf addresses the Pakistani people. Thank you so much for that update.

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