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American Morning

Pakistani Troops Being Sent to Plug Holes Along Border with Afghanistan

Aired December 21, 2001 - 07:24   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: A few minutes ago, we heard about the Pakistani troops being sent to plug the holes along their border with Afghanistan. They are trying to stop escaping al Qaeda fighters from slipping across the border to freedom.

Let's go to CNN's Kamal Hyder, who is on the border near Tora Bora with the troops this morning -- Kamal, what is the latest from there?

KAMAL HYDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, as you can see, the sun is going down on the mountains. There's very little light, fading light, and we're at a forward observation post of the Pakistan Army and behind me the Spin Mountains, the White Mountains and the Tora Bora range -- Paula.

ZAHN: And explain to us what those troops are doing behind you.

HYDER: Paula, these people are keeping a lookout. There are other men who are combing the area. They have taken up high positions on the mountaintops, some of those positions as high as 14,000 feet above sea level, where they were dropped by choppers of the Pakistan Army and a pretty substantial deployment. In fact, in most areas, it's the first deployment the Pakistan Army has had since independence over 50 years ago.

ZAHN: Kamal, as you know, there's been a lot of conflicting reporting coming out of both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Have any of these Pakistani troop members told you where they think Osama bin Laden is?

HYDER: Normally they're professional soldiers who don't talk to the press. They are not supposed to talk because as one officer put it, he said it's almost, we are on a war footing and we are going to find these terrorists and if they try to use our territory to find refuge, then they'll find it very difficult.

ZAHN: Kamal Hyder, thank you very much for that update right along the Pakistani-Afghanistan border.

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