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CNN Saturday Morning News

Concern Grows for Aid Workers Detained by Taliban

Aired September 22, 2001 - 07:28   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: With the U.S. and Afghanistan now on the warpath, there is mounting concern for eight Western aid workers jailed by the Taliban for allegedly preaching Christianity. Taliban officials say the group has been moved to another detention center for reasons of security.

CNN's Larry Woods now on one of the two Americans being held.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY WOODS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tilden Curry, pensive and understandably worried, devours every bit of information he can about the fate of his 29-year-old daughter, Dayna. Along with seven other Western relief workers, she has been accused of preaching Christianity in Afghanistan and faces a possible death penalty.

TILDEN CURRY, FATHER: I don't think she ever thought that she was doing anything inappropriate. You know, she's not that type of person. You know, she wants to live. She loves the Afghan people, and she's there to help them. But surely they will not do that for such a minor offense.

WOODS: Curry and his second wife, Sue, along with Dayna's mother, Nancy Cassell, who is in Pakistan, are clinging to State Department assurances they are doing all they can to free the group.

CURRY: I heard that maybe the trial had been reconvened, so I'm hope -- they're hopeful they'll go ahead and finish that and release them soon after.

SUE FULLER, STEPMOTHER: You know, people ask all the time how we're doing, and we say OK, but there's no way to say how we're doing.

WOODS: A quiet, introspective man who tries to shield his emotions, Curry admits he fears he may never see his daughter again. So he and the family wait and hope.

(on camera): Tilden Curry's daughter's being held in a Taliban jail cell. But 12 years ago, this was part of her everyday life, the life of a smiling, friendly teenager in an upscale Nashville suburban high school.

(voice-over): In 1989, the pretty, devoutly religious senior graduated from Brentwood High School. Friends and teachers remember her as an average student who blended in with the crowd.

Steve Shear, a local fireman who first met Dana in the ninth grade, recalls her as sort of the door next door and set her sights after graduation seemed set on helping others.

STEVE SHEAR, FMR. CLASSMATE: Hopefully, she knew the risks she was taking when she went over there. It's not an easy thing to do. It's -- I do feel for her and I hope she gets back. I mean, I hope they get her back, definitely. You know, we're here to save lives ourselves and we don't ever want to see anybody perish.

CLAY CURRY, BROTHER: She always kind of knew in the back of her mind, there was an eminent danger, but I don't -- I mean, she never wanted that to deter her because she believed in what she was doing. And so, I mean I think she always knew the risk, but I think she thought the reward outweighed the risk.

WOODS: What she was doing before her arrest last month was helping feed and educate the poor in war-ravaged Afghanistan, through the efforts of Shelter Now International. Before the bombing of the World Trade Center, the Currys received word Dana was all right.

TILDEN CURRY, FATHER: As far being in what she called prison, she thought the conditions were pretty good. You know, they had a small room where they could all lie down and had a courtyard where they could go out and exercise each day. So she thought the food was good and they had been treated fairly well.

FULLER: I think emotionally, she's probably afraid a lot because it -- we're always afraid of the unknown, but I know that she has this inner strength that comes from her faith.

WOODS: And if Tilden Curry could get a message to his daughter or to those holding her, what would he say?

T. CURRY: Well of course, we love her. We miss her. We want her home.

WOODS: Larry Woods, CNN, Brentwood, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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