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CNN Sunday Morning
U.S. Lifts Sanctions Against Pakistan
Aired September 23, 2001 - 07:12 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: All right, John and thank you. I want to take viewers overseas now. The relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan continuing to blossom at this time in a couple of different areas. To Christiane Amanpour now in Islamabad bringing us up to date on what's happened over night.
Christiane, hello or good afternoon to you in Islamabad.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, indeed. The Pakistani finance minister now confirming what we've been reporting for a few days now that the Unites States has lifted the sanctions. You reported that from the United States as well.
And basically, this is basic, good news for the Pakistanis. They have been under sanctions for a couple of years. And these particular ones that are being lifted are in connection with the nuclear program. And the finance minister saying that this will now open the way for investments and other, you know, greatly needed economic help at this time.
They do insist to us that this is not a quid pro quo. American officials also saying that. But clearly, American officials acknowledging at this time, when they want Pakistan to stand with them, they need -- quote -- " a strong partner." And in order to have a strong partner, the society needs to be strong and the economy needs some help to be revived here because it's in quite dire shape.
Also, there have been other protests around Pakistan today. One in particular in the border town of Quetta. It was held by one of the more extreme Islamic parties. Several thousand people turned out. Again, there was flag burning and people chanting anti-American slogans. This group saying that they -- as they are very pro-Taliban -- that they would send their militias and their forces to the border to try to help defend Pakistan and the Taliban against any American incursion. They're also threatening, they say, to send their people to blockage any bases in anticipation of any American forces or equipment being brought here to bases in Pakistan.
Of course, many analysts believe that they don't have the might, muster to carry out these kinds of threats because everything remains to be seen at this point -- Bill.
HEMMER: Christiane, more on that last point there, on the military front. What more are we learning about the potential for cooperation if indeed the U.S. had wanted to stage military operations out of Pakistan? What are learning about the bases that could or could not be used there?
AMANPOUR: Well, we asked a senior Pakistani government official, who tells that Pakistan does in fact have a bottom line and that bottom line is that no Pakistani forces or military equipment would be used in any incursion or any attack against Afghanistan.
On the other hand, they say that the Americans have not -- they're saying have not fully laid out their list of demands. And they're hoping the Americans won't press them too hard. But as a last resort, they say, they will accept American troops and equipment on Pakistani bases. They hope that this will be a last resort but they now it may happen. And they're hoping to keep it as low profile as possible, mindful of the sensitivities in this country.
HEMMER: Clearly more anticipation on this throughout the week. Christiane, thanks. We'll back in touch a bit later this morning.
Further west now, across the border in Afghanistan, the opposition, Northern Alliance, claims it got a few blows to the Taliban militia. Chris Burns watching that in the northern part of the country.
Chris, hello to you.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Rising pressure on the Taliban to either give up Osama Bin Laden or perhaps lose their grip on power. And some of that pressure is right over my shoulder. It's a number of tanks, Soviet era tanks but they're still quite effective. They've been used to fire on the Taliban forces that have been gathering south of here, near Kabul, trying to attack the north of the Atlantic -- the North Alliance that is. North Alliance forces have been fighting back. Overnight, they were shelling those positions. And the Northern Alliance claims to have dispersed those forces.
They also have been attacking in three different northern provinces as well as one in the west and one in the east. So the -- it does appear that the Northern Alliance is upping its pressure on the Taliban. The Taliban will only acknowledge that there is fighting up in the north. However, the Northern Alliance claims to have taken several villages as well as killed some 60 Taliban fighters and captured 200 others. That is of course, unable -- we're unable to confirm that independently. And the Taliban will not confirm that, of course, themselves either.
On the diplomacy side, the diplomatic side, the foreign minister, Abdullah Abdullah of the Northern Alliance met today in neighboring Tajikistan with what he calls a high-level, Russian military delegation. That another example of how the Northern Alliance appears to be gaining in its international links.
On the other hand, the Taliban have lost their support from the United Arab Emirates who were the one of only three countries that recognizes the Taliban regime here in Afghanistan. The Saudis appear to be wavering on that. And the -- as well as these increasingly warm relations with Pakistan, could indicate that perhaps Pakistan may also cool its relations with the Taliban -- Bill.
HEMMER: Chris, give us a better perspective for the military action the Northern Alliance is talking about. How much different is this activity than we're seeing prior to the events here in New York City back on the 11th of September? In other words, is it stepped up or it is about the same?
BURNS: Very much stepped up and there is also a link with what happened two days before those attacks in the United States. There was the assassination of the Northern Alliance's military leader. His name is Ahmed Shah Massoud. Massoud was seen as a very -- he was a very well seen figure here in the north. He was a charismatic figure and military strategist, known as the Lion of Pansher (ph) who fought the Soviets form '79 to '89. When he was killed, it was seen as perhaps a blow to the Northern Alliance. However, it appears to have awakened other lions, those lions being his fighters who appear to very, very enthusiastic in fighting the Taliban.
You see black flags and pictures of Massoud all over northern Afghanistan -- Bill.
HEMMER: All right, Chris Burns, thank you very much, from overseas.
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