Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Signs Ancient Tribal Loyalties Overshadowing Allegiances to Taliban

Aired November 19, 2001 - 09:50   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 ANCHOR: As you know, events keep moving quickly in Afghanistan. There are now signs that ancient tribal loyalties are overshadowing allegiances to the Taliban in the fight for Kandahar.

CNN's Carol Lin is in Quetta, Pakistan with more on the tug-of- war for the last Taliban stronghold in Southern Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: What we are seeing in Southern Afghanistan is the erosion of control by the Taliban. According to Afghan Pashtun tribal leaders here in Quetta, Pakistan, diplomatic efforts have failed now to convince the Taliban and Mullah Omar to withdraw their forces from the city of Kandahar. So they have issued a deadline, if the Taliban does not leave Kandahar by this Saturday, these Afghan tribal leaders say they will start waging their war as soon as this weekend.

We are also hearing reports of a Taliban commander who was once loyal to Mullah Omar switching sides now supporting the Pashtun tribal leaders around Kandahar trying to seize control of that city. And we are hearing many reports that tribal law is now taking effect in many parts of Southern Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YOUSAF, PASHTUN TRIBAL SPOKESMAN: Now, everybody knows there is no legal government in Afghanistan, so far, whether it's Taliban government or the Northern Alliance in a sense that it has not been elected by the people, and the only way to avoid further bloodshed or struggle of power, to have a government elected and approved by people in general, and the only way is that we have to go through the Alloya Jurga (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Alloya Jurga, a tribal counsel of elders, which has made several decisions, according to sources inside of Afghanistan, to take control away from the Taliban, but what we are hearing from the Taliban embassy today is that Taliban is still firmly in control of Kandahar and the surrounding provinces.

What we believe we are seeing is the slow erosion of control of the Taliban, and a transition, of power, with anti-Taliban forces, gaining pockets of control around Southern Afghanistan, as well as individual Taliban commanders negotiating their own deals with local tribal leaders, with one question in mind, right now, what is in it for me? How can I save my own skin? And the Taliban is not necessarily a monolithic organization, with individual Taliban fighters now wondering about their commitment versus their survival.

However, we must point out less even important than who controls the city of Kandahar right now, is what will Mullah Omar do? We understand that this top Taliban commander in Kandahar will be issuing an ultimatum that Mullah Omar must leave the city of Kandahar, and that ultimatum will be begin sometime in next 24 hours. So will Mullah Omar fight to death as he promised, or will he retreat to the hills with the promise of more guerrilla warfare down the road?

Carol Lin, CNN, Quetta, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com