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American Morning
U.S. and Britain Have Launched New Offensive in Propaganda War
Aired November 19, 2001 - 07:50 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 NEWS: The U.S. and Britain has launched a new offensive in the propaganda war, and they are using two first ladies on the frontlines -- Laura Bush and Cherie Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair - highlighting the repression of women under Taliban rule.
On Saturday, Mrs. Bush became the first lady to take her husband's place and deliver the weekly presidential radio address.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: Yet the terrorists who helped rule that country now plot and plan in many countries, and they must be stopped.
The fight against terrorism is also a fight for the rights and dignity of women.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZAHN: Mrs. Blair will also emphasize that again today, and it raises the question, will women be a part of a post-Taliban government, and what is the Northern Alliance's record when it comes to women and human rights?
The State Department released a report on Saturday, and to talk more about that is Paula Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs.
Good morning, Paula.
PAULA J. DOBRIANSKY, UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS: Good morning.
ZAHN: Thank you very much for joining us.
For starters, I wanted to talk to you a little bit about what Sabra (ph) - Sahar Sabra (ph) told us last week. She's a member of the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan. They view, in her words, the Northern Alliance as animals.
Here is also what Mary Robinson had to say, who is the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees about the Northern Alliance. Let's listen.
MARY ROBINSON, U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES: The Northern Alliance, before that, and when they took over territory, have been violent against women, have committed human rights violations.
And there is, I'm sorry to say, a bad pattern of lack of respect for human rights in Afghanistan.
ZAHN: What are your concerns about the Northern Alliance and how the treat women?
DOBRIANSKY: Well, let me put it this way. The reason why, right now, we are literally pointing out the kinds of abuses that occurred against women under the Taliban and the al Qaeda network, the fundamental reason why is because we're in the midst of planning - planning and part of the reconstruction process for the future Afghanistan.
As part of that, we want to lay down a marker, and ensure that everyone is quite aware of the kind of gross abuses which women have confronted, and we want to ensure that this does not happen again.
So you're pointing out a range of abuses that have taken place, and simply put, as part of a future Afghanistan and as part of the planning and reconstruction process, we do want to ensure that this does not happen again.
ZAHN: All right. When you bring up the issue of these gross abuses directed against women, are these abuses directed against them by solely the Taliban? Or - well you can see this morning that the Northern Alliance is also guilty of the same kinds of violations?
DOBRIANSKY: We are focused in the report released by the State Department - it is entitled, "The Taliban's War Against Women" - because it's quite striking, when you look at, when the Taliban and with the al Qaeda network, terrorist network, since 1996 to the present time, the abuses against women have truly been very brutal, very repressive.
Now, I will tell you that we have heard a wide range of commentary made by women, in which they contrast the period before to the period from 1996 to the present, and they also have talked about the Northern Alliance.
And I will tell you, at least from the information that we have, they said that nothing can compare to the kinds of abuses that have been waged by the Taliban and by the al Qaeda network.
That is not to say that the record by others has been perfect. But again, there is a stark contrast - the scope and the scale of repression was just phenomenal, I mean, just truly, truly repressive.
ZAHN: So essentially what you're saying is, the Northern Alliance isn't made of a bunch of angels either, but perhaps what they did to women was not as severe as what the Taliban did to women?
DOBRIANSKY: Well, let me give you an example. Right now, as I mentioned, that we are focused on the next phase.
With the Taliban, with the al Qaeda terrorist network on the run, we are in the midst of discussing plans and reconstruction for Afghanistan.
Now, already, I think it's quite significant, women are returning to work at this time. We have reports from humanitarian organizations, from the rural food program, that women for the first time since 1996 have returned to work, as well as the U.N. High Commissioner of Refugees. Same report - women have been returning to work.
The point is, I think that we need to be vigilant. We are laying down a marker, a marker because the record overall hasn't been perfect. But again, I think the point just is here that by raising this consciousness, we really want to ensure that as plans go forward for a future Afghanistan, that we do not witness this kind of brutality again.
ZAHN: Need about a 20-second answer to this so I can hit a commercial break, but Secretary of State Colin Powell indicated yesterday that women basically - and I'm paraphrasing this - deserve a right to serve in some capacity in a new Afghanistan government. Do you agree?
DOBRIANSKY: We support, absolutely, that women have a very key, vital role in the political and economic activity of Afghanistan. And we'd like to see them as part of the process.
In fact, the secretary will be addressing a group of Muslim men and women today at the White House, and I'm sure he'll convey that point even more specifically.
ZAHN: Paul Dobriansky, Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs. Thank you very much for your time this morning.
DOBRIANSKY: Thank you.
ZAHN: Appreciate your dropping by.
DOBRIANSKY: Thank you.
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