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American Morning

America's New War: Biggest American Demonstrations Yet in Afghanistan

Aired September 26, 2001 - 10:14   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: We of course have CNN reporters posted all over the world to bring you many angles of "America's New War." Let's begin at the crossroads, and that is exactly where Christiane Amanpour stands by in Islamabad, Pakistan. She now joins us with the latest -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, we are trying to closely monitor the situation inside Afghanistan. It's difficult, because as you know, there are no Western reporters there. But video and reports have come out of there today from the Arab-based satellite television station Al-Jazera (ph), showing a big demonstration outside the abandoned U.S. embassy. Now this embassy was vacated and left back in 1989. And of course it was still standing and fairly protected, although somewhat rundown, in the possibly eventuality that the U.S. would go back one day and reclaim it, once having restored diplomatic ties.

Today, it was the sight of one of the biggest anti-American demonstrations since this crisis began. There were people who went throwing stones, shouting, as you hear, burning parts of the embassy building, and taking down the big U.S. seal that's attached to the exterior of that building. Also burning cars and other things outside.

The reports say that the Taliban did try to disperse that crowd and tried to douse the flames.

Another big fear for the aid community is the situation for ordinary Afghans inside that country, people who are essentially on their own now, because there is no international assistance going in. The aid community here, the U.N. are telling us, they need something like $250 million immediately to try to meet the needs of this massive crisis that looms -- potential hunger, potential hundreds of thousands of people heading toward the Pakistan and other borders. They are saying that the Pakistani government is not opening the border crossings, and will only re-evaluate that position if it becomes, in their mind, a crisis point.

The U.N. today trying to evaluate some 75 potential sites along the border to take in these refugees and try to persuade the Pakistanis to at least allow the most vulnerable over, and that would be the women and children -- Paula.

ZAHN: Do you think they will relax their view and allow some of the women and children in now?

AMANPOUR: A trickle is coming in now. But only people with proper papers. I think what you're going to find is, like in many of these crises, if it does becomes a crisis point, to the point if there are tens, if not hundreds ever thousands of people, clamoring at the borders, I think the pressure is too great, and they will have to let them in. And the U.N. is trying to prepare for that eventuality, trying to set up all kinds of emergency supplies and necessary tents and shelter for that eventuality at the border of Afghanistan.

ZAHN: Christiane, thank you for the report.

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