Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Anti-Taliban Leader Executed in Afghanistan

Aired October 27, 2001 - 08:15   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Grieving relatives of Afghan resistance hero Abdul Haq are awaiting the return of his body today. He was captured and executed yesterday by the Taliban, who accused him of spying for the United States. The former Mujahideen military hero is to be buried tomorrow in the Pakistan city of Peshawar.

CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon is in Peshawar with more on Haq and his mission.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REBECCA MACKINNON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The exiled commander famous for his bravery against the Soviets in the 1980s had been working since the September 11 terrorist attacks to build an anti-Taliban alliance between exiles and moderate members of the Taliban. On Sunday, his family says, he slipped into Afghanistan.

He had no arms and was not prepared for any battle, says his older brother, Haji Din Muhammed (ph). He and his friends were attacked by the Taliban without any provocation.

Associates of exiled king Zahir Shah say they knew about his mission.

ABDUL SATIAR SIRAT, ADVISER TO FORMER AFGHAN KING: We knew that his mission was a peace mission. He did not go to Afghanistan to fight with any people. He was a part of His Majesty, the former king's peace proposal and he went there to contact with the tribal leaders and with the different Afghans to speak for a peace proposal to implement the recent pitch that we created here in Rome for a peace mission in Afghanistan.

MACKINNON: But that's not how the Taliban see it.

(on camera): The Taliban claim Abdul Haq used a satellite phone to summon U.S. weapons and that U.S. helicopters bombed his Taliban attackers. His family denies that he had any contact with the Americans.

(voice-over): In an interview 10 days ago, Abdul Haq said he was in regular contact with members of the Taliban inside Afghanistan.

(on camera): These are people you fought with against the Soviets? ABDUL HAQ: Yes.

MACKINNON: And that you're still good friends with?

HAQ: Yes. Yes.

MACKINNON: And have you been in touch with some of these people since the air strikes started?

HAQ: Yes. I am in touch with them almost every day with so many different, you know, the same people, the new people, different people, decent people, listening to them. They are disappointed. And in certain stages some of them were thinking like I kind of maybe mislead them by telling them to maybe if we cooperate there would be no air strikes or something. They are disappointing. But we fixing it back.

MACKINNON (voice-over): Speaking before the news of his brother's death was made public, Haji Din Muhammed said their family has suffered many casualties over 23 years of war, including Haq's wife and one of his children, a fact of life and death, he says, many Afghan families have got used to.

Rebecca MacKinnon, CNN, Peshawar, Pakistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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