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American Morning

Afghan Officials Investigating Assassination Attempt, Bombing

Aired September 06, 2002 - 07:18   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: With the Afghan government blaming Al Qaeda for yesterday's failed assassination attempt on President Hamid Karzai and the deadly explosions that rocked central Kabul. Whether the attack on the president's life, though in Kandahar and the terror attack in the capitol are connected is still unclear today.

The day after, Christiane Amanpour back on the ground in Kabul and joins us live for an update today. Christiane, hello.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, hello.

And what's happening here is that, indeed, while there is an investigation now underway, the Afghan government still says that the main suspects, in its view, are remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. They say they were expecting these kinds of incidents, perhaps not as serious as the ones we witnessed here in Afghanistan yesterday. But they were certainly expecting disturbances ahead or around the 9/11 anniversary.

And of course, here in Afghanistan an equally important anniversary is the death of Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was assassinated two days before September 11 last year. He is the legendary Northern Alliance anti-Taliban commander. So they were on alert for these kinds of disturbances.

Having said that, they're still trying to figure out who and why, what was responsible for that failed assassination attempt against Karzai yesterday.

There is one dead gunman. The U.S. Special Forces bodyguards and Afghan bodyguards did shoot this man after he started to fire at Karzai. His body is now in the custody of the U.S. military base just outside Kandahar. We understand that he was, according to local officials in Kandahar, recently recruited into the security -- security forces there in Kandahar, the Afghan security forces.

He apparently comes from a province called Helmand in the southwestern part of Afghanistan, and that is one of the former strongholds of the Taliban. And indeed, it's believed to be where some of the remnants of the senior Taliban leadership may have fled after they were routed last year.

So that investigation underway while Karzai is now back in the capitol, Kabul, and he is scheduled to continue with his official duties. He's scheduled to meet, for instance, with the Russian defense minister this afternoon here.

As for that massive car bomb that rocked downtown Kabul shortly before the attempt on Karzai's life, investigations pinned to that are also underway. The interior minister says that one person is under arrest. They are questioning him. They won't give us any more details. And of course, you know that that caused, according to Afghan media, 26 deaths and more than 150 injured after that massive car bomb yesterday. And as I say, even though it's not clear who and what, they are saying that their main suspects are remnants of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Bill?

HEMMER: Many wonder now, without U.S. Special Forces around Hamid Karzai, perhaps he's a dead man as of yesterday. Christiane Amanpour on the ground in the Afghan capitol. Thanks.