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CNN Sunday Morning

Karzai Holds First Cabinet Meeting

Aired December 23, 2001 - 10:10   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to turn now to the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. A new government takes over. The first order of business, restoring peace.

CNN's Harris Whitbeck joins us now with more from Kabul.

Hi, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Hamid Karzai and his 29-member Cabinet got to work early today, this Sunday. They held their first Cabinet meeting and they talked about one of the first priorities, which is the need to insure stability in Afghanistan to allow for the eventual reconstruction of the country.

Now the new government here is getting a lot of help, particularly from the United Nations, and the United Nations arranged for a $20 million fund to be set up that would allow the new government here to have many of the tools it needs for governing. And by tools, I mean paper clips, desks, chairs, computers, and even vehicles.

They call these start-up kits and each ministry will get a start- up kit, which includes the items I just mentioned. Some ministries have already gotten them. Others will be coming in, but this is interesting because it really brings home the fact that many people here consider the work of Hamid Karzai and his Cabinet as really starting from scratch after so many years of war.

He's also been getting a lot of support from the people. There was a small demonstration in Kabul today. Members of the capitol's intellectual community, men and women marched down the streets expressing their support for Hamid Karzai.

They also went to the U.N. headquarters here to express their thanks to the United Nations for being so involved in Afghanistan. They also plead with the U.N. and the international community generally not to forget Afghanistan in the future.

Now all of these changes mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, particularly to some of those young soldiers who have spent so many years fighting here. They have started reflecting on what the changes might mean for them personally. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WHITBECK (voice over): Abib Gulai is 16 years old and he doesn't know how many men he has killed.

"When you're on the frontline, it's hard to really tell" he says. When he was a boy, he dreamed of becoming a teacher in his village, which is now a desolate heap of rubble. He joined the Northern Alliance when he was 13, not wanting to become a refugee like so many others.

Abib Gulai and his unit fought long and hard for two years on the front, just outside of Kabul. They now guard one of the entrances to the city, passing the time playing traditional board games, and wondering what will become of them now that the war is over and they face the prospect of peace.

"There is nothing remaining to fight over," said the unit commander. "We now must think of the people, of civilians, of rebuilding. There is no reason for war now."

WHITBECK (on camera): Silenced weapons and fighters dreaming of becoming teachers. It sounds almost too good to be true. But that's what the new interim government has planned for Afghanistan, a plan they admit will only work if the international community does not forget its promises.

(voice-over): The new chairman of the interim government, Hamid Karzai, says creating jobs for former soldiers will be one of his top priorities. But that will require money and lots of it.

International donors have promised millions for the reconstruction of the country, money they say would activate the economy, erase the rubble of war. And they hope, bring about lasting peace.

"We have had war after war here" says young Abid Gulai. "Now we will have peace after peace." He's planning on going back to school, if he can find one.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITBECK: And Kyra, I can tell you that after weeks of talking to many young soldiers who didn't know if they were going to make it through the night at those frontline battles, it certainly was refreshing to talk to someone who could think more long term about his future.

PHILLIPS: Harris, you were talking about these personal stories with these young men, these young soldiers. Let's talk about the women and the two women in particular who have integrated in this new interim government. How is that going?

How's the response and have the issues of humanitarian aid, specifically for the children, and also rights for women, been talked about much so far? I know security's been talked about a lot, but what about those issues?

WHITBECK: Well, the rights of women have been talked about a lot. In fact, Mr. Karzai mentioned it during his speech at the swearing-in ceremony yesterday.

You've got to remember that before the Taliban years, and before all of this most recent mess, women really did play a relatively prominent role in Afghan society. I've spoken to many women here who hold professional degrees, who are engineers, doctors, and what have you, and they have the experience.

They have the know-how, and they are really, you know, just chomping at the bit to get back into the workforce. The fact that two women are in the Cabinet is a positive step, but obviously they need, desperately need and want more rights.

As far as the wearing of the burka goes, which is something that has been discussed by the Western media a lot, we haven't seen many women on the streets not wearing burkas, but that might have to do with the fact that many, many more traditional Afghan families believe in women wearing the burka, and it's not so much a political issue as it is just a question of tradition -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: I will definitely be following this new government on a regular basis. Harris Whitbeck, thank you so much.

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