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CNN Sunday Morning
Reports of Civilian Casualties Undermine U.S. Efforts
Aired October 21, 2001 - 10:01 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 air strikes on Taliban-held targets in Afghanistan. For that, return to CNN's Walter Rodgers. He is covering this war on terrorism from Islamabad, Pakistan -- Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The new reports of civilian casualties in Afghanistan as a result of the American bombing are greatly undermining the U.S. efforts in this part of the world to convince the Islamic world that the American cause against Osama bin Laden is indeed a just war.
On the streets of Pakistan today, in Rawalpindi, not far from the capital Islamabad, there was a very large anti-American demonstration, upwards of 20,000 Islamic fundamentalists, on the street, accusing the United States of state-sponsored terrorism in its attacks on Afghanistan. Many in the crowd clearly seeing Osama bin Laden as a hero, the United States as the evil villain.
There were calls in that same demonstration in Rawalpindi that the United States will regret and will pay for the attacks on Afghanistan -- again, hints of terror against the United States in the future, coming from those radical Islamists in that crowd. Worse for the United States, perhaps, fresh pictures coming out of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, thousands of refugees fleeing the bombing of Afghanistan.
These are Afghans crossing high mountain passes, trying to beat the winter snows. They are crossing into Pakistan, because they are afraid and of course, they have to use these illegal routes across the mountains, because Pakistan has closed its borders to the Afghans. Pakistan already has upwards of two million refugees here; it wants no more.
Perhaps, even worse for the United States, pictures of Afghans picking through the rubble of what used to be their homes and cities. This is the kind of publicity that Osama bin Laden cannot even buy. It works very much in his cause to try to persuade the world that the United States is indeed at war with Muslims around the world.
Even worse, pictures of fresh casualties, we have heard upwards of a dozen Afghan civilians killed in the area of Kabul. We cannot confirm that, but again, this is a public relations nightmare for the United States at this point.
Joining me now is a Pakistani analyst Rifaa Hussain. Rifaa, what can the United States do?
RIFAA HUSSAIN, POLITICAL MILITARY ANALYST: Well, the United States has to continue to send a message out that this is not the war against the Islam; this is indeed not the war against a Muslim. This is a war which has a specific aim of countering international terrorism personified by Osama bin Laden.
RODGERS: But why does the Muslim world refuse to see the United States as the aggrieved party as the victims because of what happened September 11? Why do Muslims see only themselves as victims?
HUSSAIN: Well, there is a -- there is a problem of misperceptions here, and there is the historical perception in the Muslim world that the United States by and large has not sided with the Muslim world when it comes to the Muslim issues. And most of the people in the Muslim world tend to look at their relationship with the United States through the prism of the American policies in the Middle East. And the Middle East situation does not inspire lot of confidence now. So these two things got juxtaposed, and that translates into an anti -- potential anti-American feeling towards -- by most of the Muslims in the world.
RODGERS: Could what we're saying destabilize the government here in Pakistan President Musharraf?
HUSSAIN: No, it is not that serious. I mean it was a -- it was a big rally and there is a significance that it did not happen on Friday. It was -- today was Sunday, and despite this being a holiday, lot of people showed up. It remained peaceful. It was not very violent. But I think this may mark the beginning of the swelling of the ranks of the people who, up till now, were very small in number.
RODGERS: One last question. We're three weeks away from Ramadan, the sacred Islamic holy month. Can the United States continue to fight this war through Ramadan, or is the United States going to have to pause and if it has to pause, why can't it fight?
HUSSAIN: Well, I think it has to. It should have a pause, and I think what they can do is that up to the month of the Ramadan, which is another three weeks or so, they can intensify their campaign and try to achieve whatever objective they have laid for themselves during this small time window. Because bombing the Afghans during the month of Ramadan will not -- is not going to go down well with one billion Muslims in the world.
RODGERS: Rifaa Hussain, thank you very much. Rifaa Hussain, a Pakistani analyst, telling us that the public relations tide is running against the United States in the Islamic world at this point and suggesting the United States may well have to pause in this war in about three weeks, when Ramadan, the sacred month of Islam, comes into play -- Martin.
SAVIDGE: CNN's Walter Rodgers reporting to us live from Pakistan. Thank you.
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