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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bomb Explodes Safely Near Islamabad Airport

Aired October 20, 2001 - 10:01   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: A potentially deadly situation has been averted at the main airport in Islamabad, Pakistan. A bomb exploded near the airport as a bomb squad tried to disarm the device. Police say they discovered the bomb in a suspicious looking bag outside of the airport's departure hall. No one was hurt but police say if the bomb had gone off where it was found, people may have been killed.

And for the latest on that bomb blast in Pakistan and other developments of the region, we're joined by CNN's Christiane Amanpour who's live from Islamabad.

Hello, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, first on that bomb blast -- what happened was, several hours ago, in fact about seven hours ago, police and the extra security personnel mounted at the airport in Islamabad discovered a suspicious looking package. After they failed to find its owner, what they did was they brought out a blast blanket, covered this suspicious package, took it to a special concrete bunker some hundred yards away from the terminal building and there it exploded.

It did not cause any causality. However, the police and security officials say that had it exploded in the passenger terminal area, it would have causalities and perhaps even fatalities. We do not know who is responsible for this, whether it's connected with the September 11 crisis and the aftermath of that or whether it is connected with ongoing sectarian violence that has been sporadic here in Pakistan over the years.

In terms of the military campaign that continues in Afghanistan, CNN sources in Kandahar tell us that they were taken today by the Taliban to see the aftermath of the last several days of air activity. They said that two bridges were taken out. We have seen some rubble. Indeed, we saw, in these pictures, the wall of the CNN office building there that had been damaged a few nights ago by exploding shrapnel after a vehicle was hit outside. They also say that a mosque was slightly damaged in what they called accident and crossfire during last night or several nights' ago fighting.

Now, we are told also that last night two AC-130s at least were in action. Those residents there told our sources that they had heard helicopters and seen troops in the streets around the outskirt of Kandahar. We don't specifically know the targets although they indicate it may have been a garrison where Taliban troops were. But apparently, according to the Taliban, they weren't there last night.

In view of the continuing air campaign and the continuing isolation of the civilian population there, from any humanitarian assistance, today, U.N. officials briefed reporters, saying that they feared for the future of some six million civilians, they said, who depended on international assistance. They say their operations have been severely degraded by an increasing lack of order. And they say that their offices in some parts of the country are being taken over or looted by armed militia and Taliban elements.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONIO DONINI, U.N. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR: In various centers, including Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar, Kunduz and parts of the north, we're receiving reports from their sources almost daily about U.N. and aid offices begin taken over, items seized or looted and staff beaten.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: In one area, they told us, in Kabul, a land-mining office had 80 vehicles seized recently.

In terms of the refugee crisis, now, it is gradually getting larger. It's not huge numbers yet. But today, U.N. officials say that 5,000 Afghans fleeing Kandahar came across the border at Chaman between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Another 10,000, they say, are waiting on the other side of the border, but of course, the border is closed to anyone who does not have the proper papers.

On the diplomatic front, Pakistani foreign ministry officials today met with the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan. There had been reports that maybe he was discussing a potential peace idea or a cease-fire idea, but that was not the case. He simply restated the Taliban's defiant position that there would be no change in their position and that the only way that they would declare a cease-fire was if the U.S. stopped bombing first -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Christiane, you mentioned the humanitarian aid problem and the stop that has been put to so much of this food getting into the needed areas. What about the military effort -- the Air Force C- 17s, are those air drops continuing?

AMANPOUR: Well, I'm not sure on a daily basis of what those airdrops are doing. That information comes out of the Pentagon. What we've been told though by U.N. agencies is that for the most part, in Taliban controlled Afghanistan, they're not really filling the necessary void. If they are being dropped, they -- and we don't have very good information on who's picking them up and who's able to get to them.

There's little clearer information in northern Afghanistan where the forces there are really in alliance with the United States and we have seen pictures of people picking up these yellow packages of aid that are being dropped. But inside Taliban controlled Afghanistan; it's not clear at all whether they are reaching the vulnerable populations. We just don't know.

PHILLIPS: Christiane Amanpour, thank you very much.

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