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American Morning

America Strikes Back: Damage Done to Kabul Missile Base and Military Hospital

Aired October 08, 2001 - 10:35   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: Thanks, bill. Joining me right now is Taysseer Allooni, who is a reporter for the Al-Jazeera network, based in Kabul. Mr. Al-Jazeera's words will be interpreted in London for us, so be -- please have some patience with us as we await for that interpretation.

Mr. Allooni, what kind of damage have you seen in Kabul?

TAYSEER ALLOONI, AL-JAZEERA CORRESPONDENT: (speaking in native tongue)

ZAHN: Okay, we await for the translation in London, please carry on. Let me see if I can link up with the translator in London right now. If -- you would, please tell me what Mr. Allooni said about the extent of damage he's seen in Kabul.

INTERPRETER: We haven't been able to relay the translation to him yet.

ZAHN: Okay. Let me try one more question of Mr. Allooni, and see if we can actually get this to work.

INTERPRETER: Yes, I've asked the question, but he hasn't -- he doesn't seem to have heard me.

ZAHN: Okay, Mr. Allooni, I'm going to try a second question here.

INTERPRETER: He says let's go ahead.

ZAHN: Defense Secretary Rumsfeld says that the coalition has struck anywhere from two or three dozen military targets. Have you seen any indication of that kind of damage?

ALLOONI (through translator): We've seen the attacks directly. But with regard to the effects of the attacks, we've only seen some of them, but we believe that it was a -- a missile base around the capital of Kabul which was destroyed. And we have seen this building destruction before and it had three areas. Three radar antennas or even four. We've seen one now that is intact. It's not destroyed, but it's not working. The second was inclined, and the third and the fourth have disappeared completely. We've also seen the home of a civilian person that was completely destroyed and a family member was injured. It was near to some of the military sites.

ZAHN: : Are you aware of any other civilians either being injured or killed?

ALLOONI (through translator): I haven't seen anything with my own eyes, but some -- eyewitnesses here have said that there were some civilian injureds. And some dead. And, also, military dead. But, it's assumed that the military dead were more in number. What I can confirm now is that one of the explosions has taken place near to a hospital, the military hospital and all windows were destroyed, were broken -- which led to the injury of six people. Seems serious injuries.

ZAHN: And when you say it led to the injury of six people, is it your understanding those people were in the military or were those among the civilian population?

ALLOONI (through translator): It's assumed they were military who were in hospital for treatments for illnesses or injuries because it was a military hospital. And it's a known hospital, called Wazir Akbar Khan hospital. And it's in an area district of the same name.

ZAHN: Mr. Allooni, you've just described some of the military targets that were hit in Kabul. Based on what you are seeing yourself, do you believe that the air defense system of the Taliban has been seriously compromised by the attacks?

ALLOONI (through translator): Yes, I think so because the last attack which took place just before dawn was very intense -- intensive and the air defenses were very intensive -- sorry they were actually low in the first attack air defenses were very heavy indeed. So I believe, yes, the attacks have affected air defenses -- Afghani air defenses around the capitol, Kabul.

ZAHN: Mr. Allooni now that night fallen, what is the expectation there tonight?

ALLOONI (through translator): We expect and the expectations of everybody here, is that most people are prepared for another attack at least similar to the one that happened yesterday. And in Kabul now, it's around the same time as the time of the attack of yesterday.

ZAHN: Mr. Rumsfeld told me earlier today it is his expectation that eventually the Taliban will fall apart and that it will be starved by many of the people who once supported the regime. What do you think of that possibility?

ALLOONI (through translator): The truth is that this has actually happened through the announcement of the Pakistani president, President Musharraf. He abandoned the Taliban movement and, for example the countries of central Asia, which had in the past -- almost a year ago, let's say it was Pakistan, for example, attempted to come nearer to Taliban, but now it has distanced itself from Taliban.

This same happened with Iran, although its criticized the American attack, it still does not support Taliban. Most Arab countries officially have also broken relations with the Taliban. We know the diplomatic relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia also been cut lately. So many of those countries that used to support Taliban have now abandoned it and that's clear now.

ZAHN: Mr. Allooni, U.S. officials are telling us, they believe Osama bin Laden is alive. What are your sources telling you in Kabul?

ALLOONI (through translator): Taliban officials don't know if -- at least the ones we've met -- don't know and don't tell us whether he is alive or not. Or whether he's been killed or injured or anything all -- at all.

ZAHN: It was your network that broadcast a statement that Mr. Osama bin Laden made, basically expressing his great delight that he had killed so many Americans. Do you have any more information on exactly when Mr. bin Laden taped that statement?

ALLOONI (through translator): The recording is clear -- it's very clear that the recording took place at daytime. And we received the tape in the evening, i.e., after the second wave of attack. It was handed by anonymous person in a speeding car. He handed it to one of the employees of Al Jazeera station here in Kabul. Outside the building, he gave to him and he told him briefly what was the content of the tape, got in -- back into the car and left. The employee came into the building told me what happened.

I reviewed the tape quickly, and I decided to send it to Jazeera and we sent it immediately. Jazeera put on air straight away. As for the time of recording of that tape, I personally think it was recorded a few days ago, a few days before the American military attack against Afghanistan.

ZAHN: Because you've had a chance to spend some time with this statement, I am curious what your reaction is to the concern that these military strikes are exactly what Mr. bin Laden wanted to create a holy war between the west and Muslims.

ALLOONI (through translator): My first impression was that of fear, to be quite honest. When I saw the attacks that took place in New York and Washington, I was shaken. They were extraordinary scenes. Terrifying scenes. And this was followed by us receiving this tape by bin Laden where he threatened the United States, to be honest, I thought similar image of what happened in New York and Washington, and I think this would have bad results. When I hear the promise and warning of Osama bin Laden, I feel tremendous fear for civilian innocent people.

ZAHN: And Mr. Allooni do you plan to remain in Kabul in the days to come?

ALLOONI (through translator): This depends on the development of situation. For example, our presence, once it becomes impossible, we will leave Kabul and go back to where I was living before, in Spain. And perhaps try to work with the Spanish news agency once more. But as long as this situation allows for it, I will remain here and perhaps I will not. It all depends on how things develop.

Also Jazeera station, I am tied to it by contract and if it asks me to move somewhere else I will move there, according to their wishes. If they ask me to cover events in another part of Afghanistan I will have to, in that case, move within Afghanistan to, for example, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Herat, or any other place. But Al Jazeera station has authorized me, given me the freedom if I felt any -- that my life if danger or the life of my employees was in danger, then I'm free to go back through Afghanistan, through Pakistan, to go home.

ZAHN: Mr. Taysseer Allooni, thank you very much for your time this evening.

Morning, of course, here in America. It is interesting to note that Al Jazeera, the network that he reports for, is the first 24-hour satellite news network in the Arab world. A fascinating account coming from Mr. Allooni. He's one of the first people we've been able to talk to who is on the ground in Kabul who could actually describe some of the damage there done to military targets.

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