Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Conflicting Reports Surround Situation in Kandahar

Aired November 18, 2001 - 09:00   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Two top Taliban officials had waved the white flag in Konduz today. As allied bombers blasted the Northern Afghanistan front, a Taliban commander and the pro-Taliban governor have agreed to surrender to the United Nations. The Taliban fighters say they will not surrender to the Northern Alliance. Sources say the Taliban are turning their weapons on each other, rather than allowing anyone to quit.

Sources tell CNN the Taliban are also considering giving up Kandahar, even as Afghan tribal leaders plot the possibility of attacking them. Local ethnic leaders have been pressuring Taliban leader Mullah Omar to leave so that they can take control of the city. Sources say the Taliban may regroup in the mountains for a guerrilla war.

The former Afghan president says it is peace, not war, that brings him back to the capital city of Kabul. Burhanuddin Rabbani says that he returned to help create a broad-based government, not take over the leadership of Afghanistan.

And things are developing rapidly in the struggle over Kandahar. For the very latest now, we want to go to CNN's Carol Lin. She joins us from across the border in Quetta, Pakistan where she has been monitoring things for several days.

Good morning again Carol.

CAROL LIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Marty in Atlanta.

Well, we are getting both sides of the story here, and it's no surprise that they conflict one another. The Taliban ambassador left Quetta here en route to Islamabad, and when asked what is the situation inside of Kandahar, he says yes, the Taliban is in control of that city and that Mullah Omar, their spiritual leader, is still in the province.

In fact, different sources are telling us, both in southern Afghanistan as well as right here in Pakistan, that the Taliban is losing public support, and that right now what is going on is the battle for the hearts and minds of the people in Kandahar by tribal leaders who are trying to convince people to go with their tribal loyalties and to leave the Taliban. And the Taliban, trying to convince people that they can wage yet another guerrilla war. Now, Pashtun leaders right here in Quetta who have been meeting -- these Afghan tribal leaders, the same ones that have issued an ultimatum to the Taliban to either withdraw or they will wage a war -- say that in all-day meetings today they have been planning out their military strategy.

They say they have sent commanders with arms, as well as soldiers across the border with Pakistan into Afghanistan, and that they are organizing what they hope will be thousands of young tribesmen in southern Afghanistan to wage war on the Taliban if the Taliban does not give up control of Kandahar in a matter of days.

We, ourselves, have not seen that military activity. But witnesses at the border did say that they saw a convoy of about 20 cars, which included some commanders from these Pashtun tribal leaders, as well as Pakistani intelligence agents who were escorting them through the border pass.

So once again, we are hearing from both sides. There are conflicting reports. And as it stands now, the truth likely lies somewhere in between -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: We'll continue to watch things with you Carol. CNN's Carol Lin joining us from Quetta, Pakistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com