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American Morning

Word from Afghanistan Taliban Supreme Leader Getting Ready to Surrender Last Major Stronghold of Kandahar

Aired December 06, 2001 - 07:20   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 we told you just minutes ago, there is word from Afghanistan that the Taliban supreme leader is getting ready to surrender the last major stronghold, Kandahar.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Chaman. That is along the Pakistani-Afghanistan border. He's about several hours' drive from Kandahar -- Nic, what is the very latest from there? Good morning.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, first of all, we cannot confirm at this time the reports that Mullah Mohammad Omar has surrendered Kandahar. The very latest, literally in the last few minutes we talked with our sources inside Kandahar. They say in the market in Kandahar there are still plenty of Taliban soldiers around. They say there are anti-aircraft guns, Taliban anti-aircraft guns firing at U.S. planes as they fly over the city. And our sources say that in Kandahar itself, it still appears that the Taliban are present and are in control.

However, when trying to analyze these reports that Mullah Omar may have surrendered or negotiated a surrender for Kandahar, the Taliban former ambassador to Pakistan has said that Mullah Omar was in negotiations with Hamid Karzai, a tribal leader who is now the head of Afghanistan's interim government.

Now, Mullah Mohammad Zaeef, who is the Taliban's former ambassador to Pakistan, said that Mullah Omar was negotiating with Hamid Karzai to surrender Kandahar.

We also know today that a group of tribal elders have made a journey from here in Pakistan and the surrounding area in Afghanistan to Kandahar to have key meetings, we are told. Now, this is something that hasn't happened recently. We don't yet know the outcome of those meetings, but again, they may be an indicator that something may be in the works. And perhaps one other thing that again may just at this stage be an indicator, not necessarily proof, that something could be in the works, is that Kandahar has been under intense bombardment for the last number of days. But our sources there today say although the have been planes flying in the air, the city itself has not been bombed.

So perhaps that's an indication that some space was being given, perhaps, to negotiations.

But again, these reports in a very early stage and we're not yet able to confirm them fully -- Paula.

ZAHN: Nic Robertson, thanks so much for that update. We'll be checking in with you throughout the morning.

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