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CNN Sunday Morning

Prospects Dim for Return of Bin Laden by Taliban

Aired September 30, 2001 - 11:47   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Taliban officials now say they know where Osama Bin Laden is, but in an interview a few moments ago, the president of Pakistan told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that prospects were dim that the Taliban would turn him over. For some perspective on this, let's go to David Ensor at the State Department.

David, what can you tell us?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jeanne, just last week, Bush administration officials were talking about how they were willing to work with those in the Taliban who would like to see Osama Bin Laden but they didn't think that the Taliban was monolithic. But if everybody knows what the Taliban is up to and what the Taliban will do, it has to be Pakistan's government.

The ISI, the Interservice Intelligence Branch of the Pakistani government is more involved in Afghanistan than any other outside entity and some experts believe was integral in setting up the government as it now is. So if General Musharraf says hope are dim of getting Osama Bin Laden turned over, that's pretty definitive and suggests the U.S. may have to take on the Taliban in addition to the Al Qaeda group if it wants to get to those who perpetrated the attacks against New York and Washington.

Another point of interest in the interview, the question of the use of bases in Pakistan. General Musharraf, you noticed, saying that he had not been asked, that he'd been asked for the use of air space, logistics and support but no specific request for bases. In fact, there have been in recent days, military-to-military talks between the United States and Pakistan and it is a delicate dance given the difficult situation that the leader in Pakistan finds himself in with a split population on the issue of how much to cooperate with the United States.

So in effect, what you get is you get discussions where the United States says to the Pakistanis, "Look if we were to ask for the use of the following bases, what would your answer be?" And if we asked, we might ask for the Quetta Air Base. We might ask for such and so. So there are discussions that are already quite detailed, I understand about what kinds of facilities might be available to the United States in the event it asks. But they carefully don't actually ask so that General Musharraf can say he hasn't been asked about that rather delicate issue. You noticed General Musharraf also welcoming warmly the vote at the United Nations recently, that this fight against terrorism is an international fight and calling on governments to take domestic actions against terrorist groups. He said that will make it easier. And certainly, one of the governments that'll make it easier for it is his own.

The U.S. is asking Pakistan to take steps to freeze finances, to go after certain terrorists in Pakistani territory and is seeing some action on that -- is hoping to see more.

Finally, I guess, the point about the formation of a government, the president, Musharraf, said that it needs to be a government that is ethnically representative. By that he means a Pashtun leadership is very important. There are many Pashtuns in Pakistan. The government of the Taliban is Pashtun. The Northern Alliance is mostly Tajik and Uzbek. Those are different tribes and Pakistan doesn't want to see them in charge of Afghanistan - Jeanne.

MESERVE: David, President Musharraf divulged little about what's going on on the ground in Afghanistan. What have you learned?

ENSOR: Well, nobody's talking very much about it. But it is clear when you talk to U.S. officials about whether there might be a Special Forces units or intelligence units on the ground already in Afghanistan, they won't talk about specifics but you get the kind of nod. You get the kind of well, I'm not going to complain if you report that that might be going on. So clearly, there is some activity, maybe quite a bit of activity.

We did see that report, shortly after the 12 that a British Special Forces unit, an SAS unit, had come under fire outside Kabul. So clearly there are units not necessarily all American that are in the area, looking for Bin Laden and his people and perhaps looking for military targets if they should be needed - Jeanne.

MESERVE: David Ensor at the State Department, thank you.

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