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CNN Sunday Morning

The Northern Alliance's Role in Afghanistan

Aired October 14, 2001 - 09:10   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: The Northern Alliance, to most Americans, was virtually unknown. Who knew where it was even?

Chris Burns, though, joins us now and he has been looking into and stationed with the Northern Alliance and has more on just exactly who they are and what they're about -- Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Martin, well as I speak, you can hear to my right over, there's a tank that's driving around. They are repairing and preparing their tanks and other artillery and so forth for an eventual strike but it hasn't come yet.

As night falls, we wait to see if air strikes might target other targets beyond Kabul and some other cities in the north. However, up to now, it has to target the frontline. And there are concerns among some commanders in the national -- in the Northern Alliance that perhaps the U.S. is listening closer to Pakistan, which has been warning that the Northern Alliance might take advantage of the situation, take power in Kabul and perhaps ignore some of the riots of the Pashtun population of the south. That Pashtun population is ethnically linked to the Pakistanis.

We talked to Dr. Abdullah Abduallah, the foreign minister of the Northern Alliance earlier today and asked him whether he is concerned whether the -- Washington is listening more closely to Pakistan than to the Northern Alliance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH, FOREIGN MINISTER, NORTHERN ALLIANCE: I hope that the situation is not as you put it. Listen in to Islamabad more than listening to the Afghans resulted to the present situation would guarantee the future if the same attitude continues. Looking towards Afghanistan through the eyes of Pakistan resulted to the present situation. What is the guarantee for the future if the same attitude continues?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: What the Northern Alliance is concerned about is they say that the Pakistani support of various factions five years ago when the Northern Alliance was driven out during factional fighting and the Taliban took over. However, there's international pressure for the Northern Alliance to combine with other Afghan groups under perhaps the exiled king in Rome to form what could be a stable government that would replace the Taliban.

At which time, then, the U.S. and others involved in supporting opposition groups and attacking the Taliban would proceed to try to topple the Taliban in Kabul. So there is some political and military linkage that we'll have to be watching in the coming days, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Chris, the Northern Alliance is made up of a number of different factions all sort of pulling together for this joint effort. How cohesive and how well do they communicate amongst themselves?

BURNS: Well, that's a good question. The Northern Alliance is made up of various ethnic groups mainly ethnically Tajik and Uzbek. It also is composed of different warlords, different leaders of different groups and different parts of -- especially in Northern Afghanistan. And they have been known for various changes in alliances when they were in Kabul.

So that is the concern -- is that will they be able to hold together when they come to Kabul. And the international community is pressing them to combine with other groups, some kind of a broader base coalition that could better represent the country and perhaps provide more stability -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: And time is only going to give us the answer on that one. Chris Burns, thank you very much, joining us from Northern Afghanistan.

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