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American Morning

Northern Alliance Occupies Kabul Despite Agreement To Wait

Aired November 13, 2001 - 10:02   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: First, though, the rapidly developing elements of "America's New War." Northern Alliance troops have barrelled past the diplomatic stop signs and steam rolling now into Kabul. The U.S. and its allies had wanted a power-sharing arrangement in hand first, but the Northern Alliance pressed on, storming into Kabul and confronting some smiling residents, and little, if any, Taliban resistance.

Also, the changing face of Afghanistan as the Taliban loosens its grip. Men celebrate their freedom by shaving off vestiges of the fundamentalist regime.

And the retreating Taliban took eight international aid workers with them, that includes two Americans charged with spreading Christianity, a crime under the Taliban rule.

And whispers of atrocities on the road to victory. Western sources telling CNN that Northern Alliance fighters have launched a campaign of revenge in the conquered town of Mazar-e-Sharif. As many as 600 said to be reported killed or executed in that town in the northern part of Afghanistan.

Clearly, we have correspondents posted around the world on this far-reaching story. As you can tell, at the moment, we are watching a number of fronts.

Let's begin at the center, though, the Afghan capital of Kabul, now under again the control of Northern Alliance fighters and CNN's Matthew Chance, among the first western reporters to get into that city, now joins us live, with an update, where it is well into night time now. Matthew?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bill. Darkness has fallen here in the Afghan capital, Kabul, but nevertheless there has been a dramatic turn of events here. The city behind me, which you can see, lit up in the skies over there, that was just in the early hours of this morning. A strong Taliban position -- a stronghold of the Taliban. Now, of course, those Taliban forces have completely abandoned it. And left it up to the Northern Alliance forces to take control. And they've certainly been doing that.

Throughout the course of the day, we've been watching trucks filled with troops, move through the streets of central Kabul. Crowds of Kabul residents came out to cheer those troops as they move past, chanting anti-Taliban slogans and anti-Pakistan slogans. as well. Pakistan, of course, formerly a main sponsor of the Taliban. So, a mixture of joy and relief there on the streets.

But perhaps, to a certain extent, masking the concerns held by many residents of Kabul. That now the Northern Alliance are here, that the divisions that have wracked that alliance could spill over to the streets here, and lead to a renewal of the bitter in-fighting that really ravaged (AUDIO GAP), eventually took control.

Well, the other thing we've been doing today is, of course, moving around the capital itself, getting a feel for exactly what the city has been going through. We have been seeing gruesome scenes as well. You mentioned those reports of beatings in Mazar-e-Sharif. Well, here we found in one location, seven bodies that have been simply strewn over the ground. Strewn into drainage trenches. Local residents were spitting on them, were kicking those bodies, saying that these were Pakistani members of the Taliban, and hated as a result.

Now, also, we have been seeing scenes of relief. You mentioned there also. We went into a barber shop where a load of men were there to get their beards trimmed or to be clean shaven. Of course, under the Taliban, it's not allowed. It wasn't allowed for them to do that. So, there, again, an expression of relief that the Taliban regime here, at least in Kabul, has come to an end.

That relief, as of course, Northern Alliance forces apparently will definitely break that commitment they made to stay at the gates of Kabul, to wait for some kind of broad-based political agreement to take shape before they actually entered the city. Reality, of course, very different. They appear very much in control of Kabul tonight. Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: Matthew, just to clarify, is it your impression and the impression of others on the ground that the entire Northern Alliance force has moved into the city, or are you getting reports at all that some of them have stayed on the outskirts?

CHANCE: Well, certainly, early this morning, when we entered the city ourselves, the bulk of the Northern Alliance forces were outside. They were simply sending isolated platoons into the city to scout out the situation. Since then, though, we've been seeing many trucks come through, as I mentioned, loaded up with troops. We're seeing many hundreds of troops scattered through this city. In fact, there is some standing around me right now.

And so it does seem that there are quite a large number of Northern Alliance troops in this town. Can't say for sure whether the entire Northern Alliance force is in Kabul right now, Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Matthew. Matthew Chance in Kabul. We'll be back shortly, there.

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