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American Morning

'Here's What I Don't Get'

Aired December 07, 2001 - 08:38   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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": The surrender comes as a surprise, as it was just last week that the Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar ordered Kandahar's Taliban to fight to the death, saying -- quote -- "The fight has now gun. It is the best opportunity to achieve martyrdom." Well, that bold statement stands in sharp contrast to a message delivered by Mullah Omar this very morning, and I quote -- "Mommy?"

(LAUGHTER)

ZAHN: I really didn't mean it.

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just amazing. We were talking about that last week, that all of these guys, you know, the idea originally was to die for Allah, that was the best could be expected.

ZAHN: But that's a fine death for their followers.

CAFFERTY: Yes, but when it comes down to it, they don't want to die. They have no interests in meeting Allah. They would much rather go to Pakistan and live another few years.

So anyway, before we get to that, the jobs report is out, and it's probably worth mentioning, not good news, 331,000 jobs lost. The consensus estimate was would be less than 200,000. So this is much worse than expected. The unemployment rate climbing 0.3 percent to 5.7 percent. And that's why...

ZAHN: So that's even higher than predicted. They were saying 5.4-5.6.

CAFFERTY: Yes, it was 5.4-5.6, and it went to 5.7. So that's why the future on your screen there have suddenly turned negative. The opening bell on Wall Street doesn't ring until 9:30, but this is one of the two pieces of data the street was kind of waiting for today, and it's not good news. A lot of people still being laid off, and that's, you know, not good stuff.

Anyway, back to what we started to talk about, I was out yesterday. I had kind of a nasty head cold, and I'm lying on the couch with, you know -- and I'm clicking around watching the news channels.

ZAHN: I assume all the women in your household, like your wife and your daughters that were home, were taking very good care of you.

CAFFERTY: Nobody was home.

ZAHN: Oh you were by yourself.

CAFFERTY: I was home alone, me and my dog, and I've got a one- eyed cat and I've got a two-eyed cat. That was the population at 41 Vinson yesterday. So I'm watching the news channels in the afternoon, and MSNBC, and CNN and FOX and all of them took live coverage of these very solemn ceremonies at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, where the bodies of the three American soldier who died as a result of friendly fire, the caskets were delivered to Ramstein Air Force Base, en route presumably back to the United States, and it was very moving and very touching and very, very sad. It's entirely conceivable these kids called in the airstrikes that killed them, because they were close to the front lines and attempting to radio coordinates where the enemy was. We don't know.

But suffice to say we have three soldiers no longer with us as a result of what's going on in Afghanistan. The color guards were there, and it as very somber and very moving. And about 20 minutes later, this report comes on one of the channels, I don't remember which one it was, that this Mullah Mohammed Omar, the chief Taliban guy, was trying to negotiate the surrender of Kandahar, and one of the conditions for the surrender of the city was that he be given some sort of amnesty and be allowed to -- quote -- "live with dignity" -- unquote -- somewhere in the region. And as weak as I was from fever, all I could do to throw something at the television set.

ZAHN: When we got wind of it in the morning, I thought, oh my God, if Jack Cafferty were here today, he'd be going nuts.

CAFFERTY: I mean, you know...

ZAHN: This is a guy that said I'm going to fight to the death. He told the folks in his own forces, those of you who don't fight are going to be like chickens with your head cut off, and you're going to fall in a ditch and you're going to die.

CAFFERTY: And apparently, the United States is in a position to have some leverage in this thing as I understand it, because there will be a lot coming out of this country to help rebuild that nation, Afghanistan, in the way of aid, and supplies and all kinds of other things. Well, the administration has been not as outspoken as I it's about it. But there's an indication -- I think Mr. Rumsfeld said something to the effect that the good relationships we are enjoying with the coalition forces over there could head south if Mullah Omar is not turned over.

ZAHN: But it's disturbing, because the U.S. government is getting mixed message from the new head of this interim government, because at one point yesterday, he indicated maybe wasn't going to think about arresting him, and then that story amended, and then he said, maybe we will arrest him.

CAFFERTY: Well, you know if they don't, something'S dramatically wrong, as far as I'm concerned. And again, thinking about these ceremonies with these flag-draped casket carrying these American servicemen off these planes, and this mutant wants to live with dignity. Please.

ZAHN: Yes, it is absurd.

CAFFERTY: It's ridiculous.

ZAHN: And obscene by many standards.

CAFFERTY: Yes, I think it is.

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