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CNN Saturday Morning News

Northern Alliance Hopes to Take Konduz

Aired November 17, 2001 - 07:04   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: U.S.-led bombing strikes concentrate on Taliban positions in northern Afghanistan today. On the ground, Northern Alliance forces are poised to take control of the last remaining Taliban foothold in the north.

The Northern Alliance has Taliban troops cornered, rather, in the city of Konduz, and the situation is said to be fluid, with reports of artillery fire and surrender negotiations.

CNN's Satinder Bindra brings us the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Taliban won't surrender Konduz, so U.S. bombing has pummeled their front lines even on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Northern Alliance says more than 10,000 Taliban troops, including a hard core, Arabs, Chechens, and Pakistanis, are trapped here.

Northern Alliance soldiers have until now refused to negotiate any surrender with that hard core. But for the first time ever, a senior military source tells CNN they're willing to offer them a deal. Surrender your weapons, and you'll get safe passage even by air to a neighboring country.

Then, say senior military officials, the international community must ensure those Taliban fighters don't pose a threat to world peace.

Beyond that hard core, the Northern Alliance continues to talk with the Afghan Taliban commanders stuck in Konduz.

NAZEER MOHAMMED, NORTHERN ALLIANCE COMMANDER (through translator): We stopped our war because negotiations are going on, and some Taliban commanders have approached us to surrender.

BINDRA: As these Northern Alliance soldiers impatiently wait for the outcome of the negotiations, thousands gather in mosques for special Ramadan prayers. The faithful I meet here tell me they're saying a special thanks for their recent victories. Others focus on fulfilling their religious obligations. Almost everyone here is fasting from dawn to dusk.

(on camera): Prayers and religious ceremonies appear, for the moment at least, to take precedence over the heavy fighting in the nearby city of Konduz. But the fighting there is not forgotten. Many people here want Northern Alliance forces to engage the Taliban and drive them out of their last remaining stronghold in northern Afghanistan.

(voice-over): Many people tell me they support continuing U.S. air strikes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): During Ramadan, the Taliban should not be spared by U.S. bombs, but they should be careful of civilian casualties.

BINDRA: Aware of such sensitivities, the Northern Alliance continues talking to the Taliban. But commanders say they won't wait long. They're rushing more troops to the front and warn if there's no deal soon, they'll launch what may be this war's bloodiest battle yet.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, Taloqan, northeastern Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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