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CNN Live Sunday

Bush Administration Seeks Solutions to Changing Political Situation in Afghanistan

Aired November 18, 2001 - 15:21   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is now faced with a rapidly changing political situation in Afghanistan. And joining us with the latest is our White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace -- hi, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Donna.

Well, at this very hour, President Bush en route, back here, to the White House after spending several days at his Crawford, Texas ranch. The president getting some rest and relaxation, but as you noted, he and his aides definitely very much focused on expediting efforts to build a transitional government in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul to avoid any power vacuum.

Donna, as you know, U.S. officials, publicly and privately, have been urging the Northern Alliance rebels to cooperate with the development of some multi-ethnic broad-based coalition government, and on the Sunday talk shows, U.S. officials very much encouraged that the Northern Alliance rebels agreeing to participate in a U.N.-sponsored meeting. It should happen in the next couple of days. That meeting, of course, as we've noted, should be held and convened by the U.N. Special Envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi.

Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, saying earlier today, the goal, really, is to get the political events to keep up with the rapidly-changing events on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The political process that Mr. Brahimi is going to lead of bringing together the various ethnic groups in Afghanistan, Pashtun, ethnic Tajiks, ethnic Uzbeks and other tribes, so that this government has a broad base. That really has to get under way now.

The security arrangements that will attend -- the arrangements that are political, I think still has to be worked out, and we need to do whatever it will be most effective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: And U.S. officials also say that what type of government is formed will be up to the people of Afghanistan, but they also say they will encourage the opposition groups to see that women play a role in any post-Taliban Afghanistan.

And, Donna, as you noted -- know, first lady Laura Bush, yesterday, launching really a new campaign by the administration to turn attention to the treatment of women by Afghanistan's ruling Taliban. That campaign to continue this week -- a series of events by U.S. officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and also Cherie Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to speaking out this week as well -- Donna, back to you.

KELLEY: Thank you, Kelly. Kelly Wallace at the White House for us.

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