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CNN Saturday Morning News
Protests Against Supporting the United States Continue in Pakistan
Aired September 22, 2001 - 11:25 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to go overseas again where we're getting word that protests are continuing in parts of Pakistan. And this against their president's support of America's war on terrorism. Christiane Amanpour from her post now once again in Islamabad with more from there. Christiane, hello?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed the Pakistani president and government have been monitoring the situation very closely. After yesterday's nationwide protest they were quite gratified according to spokesmen that it didn't turn into a mass uprising as the opposition had called for.
There was a nasty incident in which three people were killed during one of those protests and clashes in Karachi.
Today there was another protest called in the northern town of Pushawa (ph), but it was for the most part orderly and peaceful. Obviously people were shouting anti-American slogans and pro-Taliban slogans and basically doing the noisy demonstrations that have been seen here over the last couple of days.
But the president apparently talking to his national security team and his provincial governors and others trying to figure out ways of improving security and make sure that these protests stay at the level that they are right now and do not boil out of control.
On another issue -- we -- I spoke to the spokesman for the Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kandahar, Afghanistan by phone today asking about these reports about a downed plane.
The spokesmen says that the foreign minister and the defense minister confirm that they say a spy plane -- unmanned -- was shot down in Afghanistan north of Kabul in the morning local time.
They say they don't know what nationality or what origin it was -- whether it was American or Russian they said. But they said they tried to bring bits of the wreckage, which they say contains computerized equipment, down to Kandahar and perhaps we'll somehow manage to get pictures of that out.
In any event we do not have any independent confirmation of that -- just what we've learned on the telephone from a conversation several hours ago with the foreign ministry in Kandahar. Bill? HEMMER: Christiane, about a week ago President Musharraf, in a very critical speech to his own people came forward publicly giving his reasons for why his country should support what's happening involving the U.S. Given that has there been much more or many more public statements from President Musharraf to the Pakistani people since that time?
AMANPOUR: No, there hasn't. He's just been conducting his meetings as he's been calling together leaders of all sorts of parts of society here whether they be religious or military or politicians, provincial governors, tribal leaders -- people like that -- students. And he's been explaining his position to them.
And basically the position boils down to that it was simply untenable for Pakistan to remain in an alliance with the Taliban against the rest of the world. And hoping that this decision to stand now with the United States would mark a new chapter in Pakistan's relations with the international community and particularly the U.S.
HEMMER: All right, Christiane. Clearly night has fallen there in Islamabad. Many thanks to you. Christiane Amanpour in Pakistan.
Back here in New York there was a mass held this morning at New York's famous St. Patrick's Cathedral. The cardinal here, Edward Egan, had some comments that were quite interesting.
He said quote, "We need something that you might not expect me to say. We need a thirst for justice. The people who did this are criminals," in his words this morning during mass. He continued, "You and I are people of justice. We will not hate -- only murders hate. We will insist on justice."
Cardinal Egan taking over the archbishop's position here back in May of 2000 after Cardinal O'Connor passed away in New York City. His comments from St. Pat's earlier today.
Later today funerals on schedule for five additional firefighters here in New York City. They continue to hold those memorials and the services and the funerals at a staggering pace on a daily basis.
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