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CNN Sunday Morning

Civilians Killed in Bombing Raid on Kabul

Aired October 21, 2001 - 8:20   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: Let's get right to the strikes on Afghanistan today. CNN's Walter Rodgers is following events for us from Islamabad, Pakistan -- Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Martin.

There has been, according to CNN sources in Afghanistan, some letup of the bombing around Kandahar, but any continuation of the bombing at this point is greatly compounding the Muslim sense of grievance against the United States. And this is only going to make the United States -- put the United States in a more troubled position with the Islamic world.

There are fresh pictures now coming out of the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those pictures are showing an unstaunched stream of Afghan refugees fleeing the bombing, risking crossings of dangerous mountain passes before the onslaught of winter snows, crossing these high passes, trying to get into Pakistan, fleeing, as I say, that American bombing.

All this week, they have crossed these mountains because Pakistan has closed its borders with Afghanistan, because Pakistan is already overflowing with Afghan refugees. They've also crossed in the desert as well.

Worse, in terms of a public relation nightmare for the United States, are fresh pictures from Al Jazeera, the Arab television network, which is showing Afghans picking through the rubble of what used to be their homes. This is exactly the kind of image which contradicts President Bush's claim that the United States is involved in fighting a just war.

As you pointed out, Martin, a short while ago, there were new reports of at least 13 civilian casualties in the Kabul area. Again, we have pictures of civilians who were injured and killed in the bombing. We cannot confirm the numbers. The Taliban is claiming the numbers of civilian casualties are much, much higher at this point. But all of this is making it very, very difficult for the United States to sell its friends in the Islamic world on the justness of the American fight against Osama Bin Laden, despite the fact that Afghanistan continues to harbor Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda organization. Here, in Pakistan, we are having demonstrations today, anti- American demonstrations, calling for an end to the bombing, calling for the resignation of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, because Musharraf supports the American war on terror.

The organizer of the demonstration here, Qhazi Hussein Ahmed virtually pointed a finger at the United States and said, "Shame, shame for continuing the bombing."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QHAZI HUSSEIN AHMED, JAMIAT ISLAMA PARTY LEADER: This is a shame that the American big powers should come and terrorize the innocent of Afghans and bombard their villages which has already been destructed by the Soviet occupation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RODGERS: So while the United States continues to call this a just war against terrorism, the tide of public opinion appears to be flowing against the United States in the Islamic world, certainly here in the Afghanistan-Pakistan corner of the Islamic world, where the United States is seen as the aggressor and the oppressor of Islamic peoples -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: CNN Walter Rodgers reporting to us live from Islamabad.

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