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American Morning

White House Watches Kabul Capture

Aired November 13, 2001 - 09:32   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: The White House is closely monitoring the situation inside Afghanistan. Today's dramatic events, with the fall of Kabul, crowds an already busy agenda at the White House, where Russian President Putin meets with President Bush.

CNN senior White House correspondent John King has the latest.

Hi, again, John.

JOHN KING, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Paula.

President Putin is due in about 30 minutes. The rapidly changing developments on the ground in Afghanistan one of the major topics of discussion. Remember, the United States has supported the Northern Alliance, and one way it has supported the Northern Alliance is by urging the Russians to resupply and continuing to resupply the Northern Alliance with Russian military equipment.

So the two leaders will discuss that here today. As Gen. Shepperd and Miles were just noting, this is, in some ways, a positive development in the White House view, progress on the military front, yet it could potentially significantly complicate the diplomatic negotiations about creating a new broad-based government within Afghanistan. Senior administration officials are telling us that, once again, the administration has made, quote, bluntly clear," in the words of one official, to Northern Alliance officials that they don't want any significant size Northern Alliance force inside Kabul.

We are also told that the negotiations about some peacekeeping force, transitional force, going into Afghanistan, ion the north, and conversations about just what this government coalition might look like on those fronts both will be intensified in the hours ahead.

U.S. officials are saying this is progress; the Taliban is running, one official told me just a short time ago. But on the other hand, they do acknowledge that this progress could present problems, looking down the road on the political side -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks so much for the update, John. Good luck.

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