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CNN Saturday Morning News

Pakistan May Look for Increased U.S. Support

Aired November 10, 2001 - 11:14   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: Mr. Bush will be meeting later today with a critical supporter of the U.S.-led coalition, the president of Pakistan.

We get the latest on that and more from CNN senior United Nations correspondent Richard Roth -- Richard.

RICHARD ROTH, SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, at this point, I wonder who needs each other more. Certainly President Bush is relying on Pervez Musharraf, the leader of Pakistan; and this will be their first meeting since the war started -- the war in Afghanistan for now.

And President Musharraf may be looking for some gestures now. He told the "New York Times" in an interview that he'd like to see some visible gestures of support from the United States, possibly including the release of American F-16 fighters that were approved, originally, to Pakistan, sold there by the U.S. when it was an ally against the Soviet Union then, and then was withheld because of the country's development of nuclear weapons -- that being Pakistan.

Pakistan's leader, Musharraf, has supported the United States; has not said that the bombing campaign should definitely stop during Ramadan. He's kind of hedged it both ways. But right now he's the U.S. big player in the region.

Also, he's going to look for support on the disputed region of Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan have fought two wars over that terrain. The United Nations military official in the region recently accused the two countries of playing political games. He was thus rebuked, but that's just one of the lightning rod issues there between Pakistan and the United States -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Richard, when I was in New York a short while ago, we saw that security around the U.N. was very tight. Is that considered extraordinary, really?

ROTH: It does seem to be that word, "unprecedented," even by usual high-alert security standards. Kelly Wallace mentioned there the threat by Osama bin Laden, accusing the United Nations and Secretary-General Annan of being criminals in the bombing campaign in Afghanistan.

We've seen all kinds of equipment we've never seen outside the building. Of course, 1st Avenue, the main thoroughfare in front of the U.N., has been barricaded by large sand trucks. There are the usual snipers and police officials all over the place, Secret Service, State Department officials. Security in and out of uniform surround the building.

The United Nations is used to it, but certainly a very high alert here for the next seven days especially. And that will linger even after the session is over.

The U.N. was a target in 1993, when a group of terrorists were bombing the basement of the World Trade Center at that point. The plot was broken up that would have included the United Nations building.

SAVIDGE: Richard Roth reporting to us live from the U.N. this morning. Thank you very much.

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