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CNN Sunday Morning
Mohammed Zahir Shah Would Serve as Leader of Interim Government
Aired September 30, 2001 - 11:40 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: I want to take you to Rome, Italy now, a possible new role for an exiled king from 1973. Mohammed Zahir Shah was ousted from Afghanistan 28 years ago. But today, he told a U.S. congressional delegation that he is willing to return and serve as head of an interim government in Kabul. The congressional delegation met with Shah today in Rome along with some commanders from the Northern Alliance, the opposition to the Taliban.
U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher is with that delegation and spoke with CNN.
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REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R), CALIFORNIA: We had a fine briefing from them as to what the situation was on the ground. And our discussions with the king made it very clear that he was - is willing and ready and able to return to Afghanistan to serve at the head of interim government, as a unifying factor in a government that would be open to everyone. And then at the end of a given period of time, maybe two years, an electoral process would have established and that they can leave the Taliban and the Bin Laden's behind and have a prosperous and democratic Afghanistan.
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HEMMER: Now, the vow to replace the Taliban being fought in northern Afghanistan with some new support too. CNN's Chris Burns is in that region. He joins us live now, again, where it is night there, with the latest from this report.
Chris, hello to you.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Bill. And as night fell, there was some sporadic shootings and sporadic artillery fire in the last few hours. A CNN crew that was overlooking the front line between here and Kabul saw a fire break out between - somewhere around that front line. So there is some sporadic fighting going on there. There's a buildup of forces on both sides over the last few days. The fighting in earnest could break out again at any time now.
At the same time, there is of course, that diplomatic battle going on over who should replace the Taliban. There's diplomatic struggle involving the Northern Alliance, which would like of course to lead a new government. However, they are being forced to talk now to the king and to other groups and try to accommodate each other into some kind of a coalition government.
The foreign minister for the Northern Alliance, Abdullah Abdullah met today with the U.N. envoy to Afghanistan, Franchise Vandrel (ph) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. That's nearby. They also, of course, the Northern Alliance met in Rome today with the king and others. So that is moving along.
Mr. Abdullah Abdullah said that it is very important that the United States also be involved in this even thought here's reluctance in Washington to get involved in state building. He said it is not enough to get rid of Bin Laden.
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ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, NORTHERN ALLIANCE FOREIGN MINISTER: If they are wiling to see the same situation one year from today, this is the way to be. Go after Bin Laden. Tell him we'll capture him and let Afghanistan to be like it was before and the consequence will be more dangerous than it has been so far.
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BURNS: Now where the problem is though on the Northern Alliance side is that they have lost their eminent leader who was commander Massoud, who was killed in an assassination two days before the attacks in the United States. They have no leader that they can really call, someone who's strong enough to take over a government if they did go to Kabul. So that is the big question mark, who will lead this new government if not the king? Bill.
HEMMER: Chris Burns with the story from northern Afghanistan. Now to Jeanne again in Washington - Jeanne.
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