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American Morning
America Strikes Back: Secretary of State Powell in Pakistan
Aired October 15, 2001 - 09:41 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 will go live to Pakistan, where Secretary of State Colin Powell has just arrived.
CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us with the very latest from the capital, Islamabad -- Christiane.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes indeed, the secretary has just arrived in Islamabad. He is due over the next 24 hours to hold meetings with the president of Pakistan and other senior leaders here. They want an assessment from him on what's going on in this campaign against terror and the potential post-Taliban political situation.
People here have called for a general strike trying -- the Muslim militants have called for a general strike -- and demonstrations. The strike didn't pan out as planned; there are a lot of businesses that stayed open. And there were much, much fewer demonstrations today than there have been over the last few days.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
AMANPOUR (voice-over): U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to Pakistan is unlikely to change the daily pattern of demonstrations. This one outside the city of Jacobabad, the location of one of two military bases used by U.S. forces.
Pakistan says their bases will not be used for U.S. combat operations against Afghanistan, just the search and rescue missions. Pakistan called Powell's trip an important visit at a very important time. It wants an assessment of the war so far.
ABDUL SATTAR, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: We would like to hear from him what's the prognosis, how long is this operation going to go on, and will we see light at the end of the tunnel and what is it that needs to be done in order to bring this operation to a close.
AMANPOUR: Sattar says Pakistan will also tell Powell that civilian casualties will inflame public opinion here and in the region.
Perhaps as important as conducting the war in Afghanistan, preventing war between Pakistan and India over the disputed region of Kashmir. The U.S. administration has been worried about provocative rhetoric coming from India, and Pakistan's president has publicly warned off his nuclear neighbor.
GEN. PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN: We know how to defend ourselves. We have the power to defend ourselves and let there be no illusions about this from across the border at all whatsoever.
AMANPOUR: Under U.S. pressure, India and Pakistan have now cooled down the rhetoric. President Musharraf has called the Indian prime minister to suggest restarting peace talks on Kashmir. But the leader of the main Kashmiri Independence Party says the two sides will never reach agreement on their own without the intervention of -- quote -- "a very powerful third party".
AMANULLA KAHN, CHAIRMAN, IKLF: If you solve Kashmir issue, this entire area, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Bangladesh, the whole area will have a very peaceful and prosperous future and if you don't solve this issue, God forbid, the entire area may one day fall victim to an atomic war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
AMANPOUR: So journalists traveling with the secretary on his plane say that he does expect to hear from the Pakistani government on the Kashmir issue. Also on the issue of those several groups that have been put on a U.S. watch list, alleged terrorist groups here. And of course, most importantly, they want to know about a post- Taliban scenario for Afghanistan, whether the United States has an idea of what kind of broad-based alliance should be cobbled together to replace and to prevent any vacuum in Afghanistan -- Paula.
ZAHN: Christiane, thanks so much.
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