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American Morning

Pakistani Tribesmen Want to Lend Military Help to Taliban

Aired October 29, 2001 - 09:11   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Representatives of the Taliban have been giving their side of the latest attacks on Afghanistan.

We get latest on their news conference, from CNN's Bill Delaney who is in Islamabad, Pakistan. Hello, Bill.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Miles. Well, we'll get to that news conference in just a moment. First, in this country of 140 million, protests and unrest still reflected only by a small minority, in this country. But the potency of it shown nowhere more horrifically than at that Catholic church in southern Pakistan, St. Dominic's, where there was a massacre yesterday. 16 Protestants worshiping there, attacked by gunmen who bolted door of the church and sprayed gunfire on men, women and children. Thousands came to mourn at that church today, Islamic extremists are suspected. The government has vowed to track them down. Muslim religious groups here in Pakistan, also, condemning those killings, Miles.

Now, on the northern border of Pakistan, with Afghanistan, in another sign of the unrest here, thousands of Pakistani tribesmen have gathered. They say they want to cross into Afghanistan, to help militarily the Taliban, in this now fourth week of bombing, in Afghanistan.

Now the Pakistani government, has vowed not to let them cross, and interestingly, at that press conference by the Taliban here in Islamabad, today, Miles, that you referred to, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan himself also discouraged these Pakistani tribesmen from crossing into Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF, TALIBAN AMBASSADOR TO PAKISTAN (through translator): To answer your first question, about the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- they are going there voluntarily and of their own free will, we have although requested that the since this date that there only air -- assaults on Afghanistan, there is no need and there is a great danger for them to be in Afghanistan, so we have not requested for their entry to Afghanistan at this stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DELANEY: Miles, observers here finding it interesting that as we enter this fourth week of bombing in Afghanistan the Taliban apparently, comfortable enough with their position not to want reinforcements to cross into Afghanistan to help them. On the diplomatic front U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi in Pakistan today. He may meet with Taliban officials. Commander in Chief U.S. Central Command Tommy Franks also arrived in Islamabad today for meetings with Pakistani officials. Back to you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Well, Bill, Pakistan may say they don't want those supporters of the Taliban to cross the border -- but that's an awfully porous border, isn't it?

DELANEY: Very much so. If these tribesmen want to get across, certainly, in small numbers they will be able to. At the moment they are traveling in motorized vehicles, many of these vehicles armed and that will make it more difficult for them because they'd have to cross over roads. But, if some of them want to cross, there will be a way to cross that, yes, porous border.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Bill Delaney in Islamabad. Thank you very much.

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