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CNN Sunday Morning
Taliban Proposes to Put bin Laden on Trial; Pakistan Takes Action Against Protests Leader; Tribute to Fallen Firefighters Gets Under Way
Aired October 07, 2001 - 10:00 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A new offer from the Taliban they will put Osama bin Laden on trial on their terms. Pakistan takes action, a key Taliban's supporter and anti American demonstrator is put under house arrest. And a tribute to fallen firefighters, an annual event has new meaning today.
PHILLIPS: It's Sunday, October 7. Good morning from CNN in New York. I am Kyra Phillips.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: And I am Jeanne Meserve in Washington, were the administration is reacting to the latest offer from the Taliban -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Thanks Jeanne, we are going to start with the latest, as America targets terrorism and that is.
A new offer from the Taliban. Afghan authorities now say they'd be willing to detain Osama bin Laden and try to put him to trial under Islamic Law. But there are conditions. The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan says the United States must make a formal request and present its evidence against Bin Laden, the White House says no deal.
CNN has learned the Taliban are moving a significant number of troops toward Afghanistan's border with Uzbekistan. The Taliban claim to have between 40,000 and 60,000 soldiers ready to fight any U.S. invasion.
A British Journalist being hold in Afghanistan has been released. Yvonne Ridley is a reporter for the Sunday express. She reportedly entered Afghanistan illegally and was arrested more then a week ago. There is no word on the fate of the two Afghans who were arrested with her.
President Bush is in Emmitsburg, Maryland today, but we're going to get back to that in just a moment, first to Pakistan were the Associated Press reports, the Taliban ambassador is offering to have Osama bin Laden tried under Islamic Law but there are some conditions from the Taliban.
CNN's Nic Robertson is in Islamabad this morning. Nic, what have you heard about this offer? NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, there was a very limited press conference that the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan gave but in that press conference he said that the United States, if it provided the evidence to the Taliban and it has to be emphasized that the Taliban have been asking the United States to provide this evidence for some time and they already know the United States' response to this.
However, he did say that if United States provided the Taliban with evidence then the Taliban they said would try Osama bin Laden in an Islamic court inside Afghanistan. And one other interesting thing came out of the press conference and that is that the Taliban said that they had heard from the Pakistani government that the Pakistan government believe there were sufficient evidence to put Osama laden on trial, now that is something that the Pakistani government says that they've made -- has said publicly, but the Pakistan officials have said that they weren't going to pass on any evidence to the Taliban and there is -- we've no indication yet that the Pakistani government has had an un-official meeting with the Taliban to pass on this information.
So, exactly where the Taliban ambassador is getting that from, we're not sure perhaps he has picked it up the publicly but the Taliban there recognizing that their only diplomatic partners, the only country that recognizes them, at this time has said that there is sufficient evidence for Osama bin Laden to be tried. That perhaps, the new item coming out of that press conference, a few hours ago by the Taliban ambassador.
And interestingly Pakistani authorities here today, perhaps reacting a little a bit to a growing sense of unrest and unease in some of these street demonstrations we've been seeing putting a senior Islamic cleric in inside Pakistan who has been allied with the Taliban in the past, putting him under house arrest.
Now he has been leading many anti-government demonstrations here. Many anti-American demonstrations in recent weeks. The Pakistani government says that they're putting him under arrest because in a recent rally two days ago, one of his guard had an assort weapon. And the Pakistanis say it's illegal for civilians to have assault weapons on the street.
They also say that this particularly Islamic cleric has been inciting people to violence, inciting them to disruption and disturbances and inciting people against government. And the Pakistani officially says that is against the law, that is why he is under house arrest -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic, I do have couple of more questions with regard to that Islamic cleric but first lets go back to the Taliban's offer to offer up Osama bin Laden under certain conditions. Isn't this a mute point? President George Bush has made it very clear that there is no deal with the Taliban, no negotiations, so is this even a good idea to address this any further?
ROBERTSON: Well, the Taliban really don't to have anything else that they can do it this time other then stand there and wait for any attack to come upon them, so from their perspective perhaps they feel -- may be misguidedly in this case, perhaps they feel that this all they can do, is make another gesture. These things have been heard before, they come in different forms, you know, we've heard them say that perhaps Osama bin Laden could be tried in a third -- in a third country under an Islamic court. We have heard them say, the United States should present us with the evidence.
But here they are sort of putting it all together in one package if you will, that is the United States provides the evidence, we trial Osama bin Laden inside Afghanistan. Its is perhaps an indication of just how isolated the Taliban are at this stage that they believe such an offer can be -- you know -- can find a welcome reception in Washington, when clearly already the indications are that its just not going to fly of this time -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson live in Islamabad, thank you so much.
Well, inside Afghanistan fighters link the Taliban opposition group, the northern alliance say, they are making gains on two fronts. CNN's Chris Burns is with the Northern Alliance in the Northeastern corner of Afghanistan. Chris, tell us more about the provincial capital they say -- they have seized in addition to the additional areas.
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kyra. The Northern Alliance is reporting that in two provincial capitals, one they say they've taken in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) province, they have taken a provincial capital there. They have also taken -- they have also surrounded the provincial capital in the province of Gaour (ph).
They -- of course it's impossible to confirm from our end but their claims are also that they have taken a hundred prisoners. They have also taken 60 defectors. Now, on the -- near the front here, North of Kabul, there are heightened expectations, much heightened expectations of some kind of U.S. action coming anytime soon, as we hear from the foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, NORTHERN ALLIANCE FOREIGN MINISTER: Yes, our helicopters are not flying for the next few days and we have closed, sort of, the air space since yesterday afternoon -- since yesterday afternoon. It will be like this -- it will be like this for another few days
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BURNS: That of course indicating and as Abdullah Abdullah said later in the news conference that he sees U.S. action as "imminent". He said it could happen, soon, very soon. He says he has also put his forces on alert, talked to his commanders. He says he is in very close contact with the United States, talks both on military as well as humanitarian action -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Chris, with the first major deployment of U.S. troops in Northern Afghanistan. Is it standing operating procedure or is it not with regard to U.S. troops meeting with the Northern alliance, has that happened -- will that happen?
BURNS: As far as we now Kyra, there has not been a substantial U.S. military presence here. In fact the Northern Alliance up to now said that there has been none -- there is no telling what the Special Forces might have done but we have no evidence of that. It's being very discreet, as Washington has said that they do intend of waging a campaign -- a kind of commando campaign, not a full military campaign. So everything is extremely secret. If the Northern Alliance knows anything about what is going on, they're not telling us, apparently they're trying to good partners with Washington -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Chris Burns with the Northern Alliance in the northeastern corner of Afghanistan. Thank you, Chris.
Now we can go back to Washington, Jeanne Meserve -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Kelly, no sooner have the Taliban made it's offer to put Osama bin Laden on trial in Afghanistan, than the U.S. administration reacted. Kelly Wallace is with the president in Emmitsburg, Maryland today and joins us now. Kelly, the answer in short, no way.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Jeanne. No way, no negotiations, no discussions and nothing really changed, because that is really the message that has come from the Bush Administration, each day the Taliban has forward with a different offer. Yesterday the Taliban offering to release those eight western aid workers in exchange for the U.S. ending threat of a military attack.
Yesterday the message was this is not negotiation. It's time for action not words, the same message coming from the White House today, and Jeanne just a short time ago our viewers definitely saw live on our air, a very solemn-looking President Bush and first lady Laura Bush here at a memorial service to pay tribute to the 101 fire fighters killed in the line of duty last year.
This event though is especially emotional, as the president also recognized the more than 300 members of the New York City Fire Department, killed trying to save lives in the World Trade Center. And, you're seeing the president laying the Presidential wreath at that National, 'Fallen Firefighters' monument. That monument will soon add the names of those 101 fire fighters, and by next year, the names of the more than 300 members again of the New York City Fire Department will be added as well.
And, Jeanne, the president talking, quite emotional remarks there, the president saying that just two years ago, he was with some members of the New York City Fire Department, people no longer here today. He said, "None of us could have imagined the magnitude of the evil and the enemy." But he said, "each one of those firefighters that went into the World Trade Center, only knew their duty, that they heard the faintest cries and that they were searching to try and find the helpless and the trapped. And, he tried to offer words of comfort to all of the families around the country, and the relatives here of those 101 fire fighters. He certainly said that the pain would never go away. But that they could take comfort knowing that their loved ones died trying to save others. So, Jeanne, it's very much the president in his job as commander-in-chief but also as consoler-in-chief; a job he has had to do over these past four weeks really trying to comfort those grieving and in need.
And, at this hour Jeanne, the president en route back to the White House back after a weekend at Camp David. Just after, we heard the president was very-very tough talking in his radio address yesterday giving the clearest indication yet that military action against Afghanistan might not be too far away.
Jeanne, you heard the president say; "Time is running out for the Taliban," that a full warning has been given to the Taliban; and that the regime must adhere to his demands or face consequences -- Jeanne, back to you.
MESERVE: And, Kelly let me take you back to this proposal from the Taliban, just one in this series of proposals. What are the administration officials saying about what they think is going on? Why the Taliban persists in floating these ideas?
WALLACE: You know Jeanne, when you ask the administration officials that, they say, you know, "We have no idea." But you do talk to some officials privately and even some analysts. Some believe these are just delaying tactics. The Taliban definitely feeling the pressure of the international community and trying to prevent some type of military attack or retaliation. There is also some sense that there's some crumbling, that the Taliban -- there are some dissidents feeling the heat and pulling away from the Taliban regime. So that is the case as well. So, not exactly clear.
Ari Fleischer was asked, the president's spokesman, the other day when the Taliban happened to be complaining that the administration turning over evidence to other countries, and it should turn over that same evidence to the Taliban militia. Ari Fleischer saying very simply he does not address Taliban complaints. So you see the administration not really paying too much attention to these offers and comments basically saying, "Time is running out," and the Taliban know what they must do -- Jeanne.
MESERVE: Kelly Wallace, Emmitsburg, Maryland. Thanks.
New York Senator Hillary Clinton says the families of the victims of the September 11 attack should all receive equal treatment that includes gay and lesbian partners of the victims. Clinton says domestic partners deserve the same treatment as married couples.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, NEW YORK SENATOR: Domestic partners should enjoy the same benefits afforded to other couples, whether we're talking about health insurance and benefits, inheritance, property taxes, or rights...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MESERVE: Clinton made her comments last night at an annual dinner for gay and lesbian activists where she was the keynote speaker.
Another New York politician Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the subject of CNN's People in the News that's coming up in just a few minutes at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. You can catch it again this afternoon at 05:30 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
On the money trail, investigators track the hijackers through financial links, new details when we return.
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PHILLIPS: We apologize for that. You are looking, of course, at pictures of Ground Zero, as the salvage efforts continue in Lower Manhattan. Well, now to a suspected moneyman in the terrorist attacks that may have been able to do his job because an Indian airliner was hijacked in 1999.
CNN's Eileen O'Connor is covering the investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The September 11 attacks were thought to cost roughly $500,000 according to sources. Suspected hijacker Mohamed Atta received wire transfers via Pakistan, and then distributed the cash via money orders brought here in Florida.
A senior law enforcement source tells CNN, the man sending the money to Atta is believed to be Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh (ph); the leader of an Islamic militant group associated with al Qaeda, a group that was fighting for Kashmir's independence from India, which is why Saeed Sheikh was once in custody in India. But in 1999, he was released to meet the demands of hijackers of Indian Airlines flight 814.
NIRUPAMA RAO, INDIAN GOVT. SPOKESWOMAN: From the nature of the demands that they made, and the people whose release they demanded, who were definitely linked with al Qaeda, I would like to think that even the hijackers had links with this terrorist organization.
O'CONNOR: Even the eight-day long hijacking itself had all the trademarks of an al Qaeda operation.
CAPT. DEVI SHARAN, PILOT, HIJACKED INDIAN AIRLINER: They used to praise Osama bin Laden, and they used to give a lot of lectures on Islam.
O'CONNOR: The alleged financial link between Saeed Sheikh and Mohamed Atta provides more evidence to U.S. law enforcement that Osama bin Laden was behind the September 11 attacks, and remains a threat. WILLIAM HARLOW, CIA SPOKESMAN: No one should minimize that threat. It's also something, which is not new. Bin Laden and his organization have made it clear that it is their goal to target American taxpayers. They have said that it's their religious duty to kill Americans.
O'CONNOR: The federal law enforcement officials say knowing about threats doesn't necessarily make it any easier to stop the actual attacks. Especially, they say, when terrorists can take advantage of the freedoms offered in the United States.
BOCK REVELL, FORMER FBI OFFICIAL: Only two of the 19 individuals that have now been identified; were even known to the U.S. intelligence community. The FBI was looking for them but had no authority to arrest them because they hadn't done anything illegal at the time.
O'CONNOR (on camera): Which is why local law enforcement wants more information sharing. So, that if someone like accused hijacker Mohamed Atta gets a speeding ticket, he might not be able to get away with mass murder.
Eileen O'Connor, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MESERVE: And, now we're going to take a look at the latest U.S. military developments. Let's go to Patty Davis live at the Pentagon for us this morning -- Patty, what's going on?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jeanne, the Pentagon are very tight-lipped place these days. No information being given out on operational details, as the United States makes it's search -- continues it's search for Osama bin Laden, makes its plans for going after his regime in Afghanistan. Now, what one senior Pentagon official is telling CNN; however, is that there is an increased U.S. military presence in the base in southern Uzbekistan, that senior pentagon official knowing that that information would be released gave that information to me.
Now that base to be used though strictly for humanitarian purposes -- at this point that country agreeing to that. Search and rescue missions if that becomes necessary, aid drops, drops -- air drops of food, medicine to the Afghan people. Of course, President Bush also the Pentagon trying to make it very clear that they are not going after the Afghanistan people here. They want to help them in every way possible. It is Osama bin Laden that they want. Now, the United States is going after Osama bin Laden.
The defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld has now returned to the United States. He was on a whirlwind tour of that -- of that region trying to garner support for the U.S. led war on terrorism. We do expect today to perhaps see him. Also in today, the head of the joint chiefs of staff, but Pentagon officials saying that since September 11 it has been a common occurrence, that you're seeing a lot of the Pentagon staff at a higher level. You're seeing the joint chiefs of staff head in. You're seeing Donald Rumsfeld in. So it's status quo here right now from the Pentagon -- Jeanne.
MESERVE: Patty, I understand some new numbers, a new price tag being put on the damage done to the Pentagon on September 11, tell us about that.
DAVIS: That's right, the past couple of days it's come out. Reporters were allowed to get a good look at the damage that was done by that hijacked aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11. Price tag on that now, $800 million in terms of reconstructions, in terms of repairing extensive damage, as you can imagine. Original price tag, somewhere in the $500 million range, that now upped, as officials get a better look at it.
The FBI, of course, has turned this over, not a crime scene any more. It is -- that has been investigated. It's now looked at -- in terms of reconstruction $800 million that price tag -- Jeanne.
MESERVE: Patty Davis bringing us up-to-date on military matters at the Pentagon, thank you.
A Bush administration official says a bombing in Saudi Arabia looks like an isolated incident.
An explosion in a shopping district in Al Khobar killed at least two people. A U.S. embassy official says one was an American. Police say the explosion happened after shops closed for prayers. If shops had been open, casualties would likely have be much higher. Al Khobar is the city where 19 American service men died in 1996, when their barracks was bombed.
And in Northern Israel today, two people were killed when a car bomb exploded. An Israeli died along with the apparent Palestinian suicide bomber. A series of attacks and Israeli responses have eroded a September 26 truce between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And now we go back to Kyra in New York.
PHILLIPS: All right Jeanne, thank you.
One American legend says goodbye. Still to come, The Iron Man's grand farewell.
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PHILLIPS: Baltimore sent its beloved Iron Man, Cal Ripken, into retirement in style.
A sell-out crowd turned out last night at Baltimore's Camden Yard Stadium to see Cal Ripken off. The Orioles star retired after playing 3,001 games. Ripken played a record 2,632 consecutive games from 1982 to 1998. Ripken went zero for three in his final game, his Orioles lost to Boston, five to one.
That American flag you're flying, may have come from an unlikely place.
Monty Francis, of CNN affiliate KSEE has this story from Chowchilla, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAZEL CORPREW, PRISON INMATE: I feel a sistership with Betsy Ross, because she started this out, you know. So it's like, I'm -- I feel like I can kind of, almost feel how she felt.
MONTY FRANCIS, KSEE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Most of the flags flying at state buildings and offices in the States start right here in the Women's State Prison in Chowchilla and these inmates have never been busier.
SADIE MOTEN, PRISON INMATE: And we got an order from the governor, which is a special order. He wanted a 150 of the California Bears, and 50 of the United States'. And after that we got an order for 1,900 and after that we got order for 2,000.
RAMONA DAWSON, PRISON INMATE: I think, we do a pretty good job of getting done, you know, top quality work.
MOTEN: This is where we get our flags.
FRANCIS: The process of making the stars and sewing the stripes is something these women take pride in.
CORPREW: I think about what each star stands for and what each stripe stands for and I thought I had forgotten all that stuff until it came down to this and it's like now I remember.
FRANCIS: While most of the inmates would not describe themselves as patriotic, those stars and stripes have come to mean something special to them just the same. Ramona Dawson is serving a seven-year sentence for drug possession.
DAWSON: It gives me a sense of -- a sense of pride to be able to be incarcerated and at the same time help my country in its time of crisis.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyday working on the flags, you know, I feel like that our work is going out there. We are doing a little what we can for our country. You know, in this distressed time and it's just -- it's hard putting up work but it's a good feeling.
FRANCIS: Women without freedom feeling good about creating a symbol of something that right now they don't have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: And that was Monty Francis our affiliate at KSEE. And a footnote, if you'd would like to learn more about the American flag, there is a Betsy Ross Web site among many others. We've got a lot more to tell you about, a lot of American-type stories.
MESERVE: And amongst them, we'll have president Bush coming back to the White House in the next half hour. We'll bring that to you when it occurs. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: And, welcome back to New York. I am Kyra Phillips. I want to let you know, we are waiting for President George Bush to return to the White House after speaking at a memorial honoring all the fallen firefighters in the Trade Center terrorist attacks, they'll be returning from Emmitsville, Maryland. Soon, we will bring that to you when it happens. Meanwhile, here's the latest developments as America targets terrorism.
The Taliban reportedly says they're willing to detain suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, and try him under Islamic law, if the United States makes a formal request. The offer is similar to the one made last month by the Taliban, however, this time the Taliban are not requiring evidence linking bin Laden to last month's attacks.
The Bush administration has rejected the Taliban offer insisting there will be no compromise. Mr. Bush yesterday warned the Taliban that time is running out for them to hand over Osama bin Laden, as you will see here today, we were talking about Emmitsburg, Maryland; and the president focusing on the more than 300 New York firefighters killed at the World Trade Center.
Today the Taliban freed British journalist Yvonne Ridley. She was arrested more than a week ago after illegally entering Afghanistan. Ridley is a reporter for the Sunday Express and she will reportedly remain in Kabul until tomorrow when she travels to Pakistan.
A man who has been leading many of the recent anti-American street rallies in Pakistan is now under house arrest. Mualana Fazal- ur-Rahman has a political party that has had closed ties with the Taliban, since the group's formation in early 1990s. Pakistani authorities have not said why the party leader was arrested.
And, the opposition Northern Alliance says it has seized a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan and has surrounded another. The alliance has been fighting the Taliban for control over Afghanistan for several years.
Stay with us here on CNN throughout the day. We'll have the latest developments at the top of the hour. "People in the News" is next. I am Kyra Phillips. Thanks for being with us.
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