Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Karzai has Money To Rebuild Nation

Aired February 17, 2002 - 11:02   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get right to Afghanistan, where Hamid Karzai is struggling to begin rebuilding his nation. CNN's Brian Palmer is in Kabul with details on that international money, now in the hands of the Karzai administration.

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredricka. Well, one of the first things that Chairman Karzai said when he entered the room this morning and he saw all these microphones laid out in front of him, he said this is not a press conference. This is a signing ceremony.

He wanted to talk about the $1.6 million that United Arab Emirates has given to the interim government for the Ministries of Education, Women's Affairs, Health, and Culture and Information. It's not a huge amount of money, but it is substantial.

Now what was on the media's collective mind was two recent events that involve violence here in Kabul. The recent killing, the Thursday killing of a government minister, and a shooting incident that involves the members of the International Security and Assistance Forces.

PALMER (voice over): Chairman Karzai did not have very many new details about either event. He said both are under investigation. But he did say that he would ask that should it be warranted after an investigation, he will ask for the expansion of the International Security and Assistance Forces here in Kabul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMID KARZAI, INTERIM LEADER, AFGHANISTAN: If the security involvement in Afghanistan does not improve further, we will make sure that the International Security Forces are asked, together with the Afghan forces, to take a stronger role.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PALMER (on camera): Now there were a couple of substantive developments today. The government did announce that two suspects in that killing of the Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism, have been apprehended in Saudi Arabia. The Interim Government has made a request and is negotiating with the Saudi Government to have them returned here. Also, announced today, that the process of forming an Afghan National Army has begun. We found that out from the government. We also talked to the International Security and Assistance Force, which is going to be training these men. They say that about 15 to 20 men, armed men, from each of the 20 provinces in Afghanistan, have been selected and they are about to begin training here in Kabul. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you very much Brian Palmer from reporting now from Kabul.

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