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CNN Live Sunday

Interview With Haron Amin

Aired December 09, 2001 - 17:09   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Afghanistan's interim government will take power in just two weeks. And under the agreement, a 29- member cabinet representing former rival faction will lead the nation for at least six months. So, what can be expected of these leaders? Joining us from Washington is Haron Amin, he is spokesmen for the Northern Alliance. Thank you very much for being with us this afternoon.

HARON AMIN, NORTHERN ALLIANCE SPOKESMAN: Thank you.

CALLAWAY: Not a good situation in Kandahar. Before the former Governor Gul Agha resumed his position in that area, we saw tribal leaders, some very hostile situations developing there. Certainly there was chaos. This cannot be a good sign. Is this what we can expect when the interim government takes place December 22?

AMIN: I think that Kandahar may be an exception to the rest of Afghanistan. There was a lot of anticipation in many other parts of the country for chaotic situation to occur. That has proven otherwise.

Kandahar is problematic, because you've had -- it's the last bastion of the Taliban. Hamad Karzai has taken over the country, has to of course delegate power to the right people in Kandahar. I think overall the situation is still calm. There -- it's still premature to draw conclusions, but certainly things are heading in the right direction.

CALLAWAY: We also heard Nic Robertson say that indeed there are hints of violence, hints of chaos that could come when the interim government takes place -- or takes charge. What could or needs to be done to prevent that from happening?

AMIN: Well, I think remember that the task of trying to undo 23 years of war and bloodshed and chaos is going to be problematic. The international attention is there, the war fatigue for the Afghans is there, the resolve to go about the formation of this new government was there, and indeed the government is going to be in place on the 22nd.

I think the tasks for Mr. Karzai are going to be enormous. He has to look into the issue of humanitarian assistance, it's going to be the issue of land mines, it's going to be overcoming religious obscurantism. He has to deal with cohesion within the administration. Beyond that, issue of land mines, and at least some sort of rehabilitation and repatriation of the refugees. But that's within six months. I think this is just the first stop. It's going to be much more is going to be needed for the next few years.

CALLAWAY: What is needed? What would be needed?

AMIN: Well, I think that the process is going to start. That needs to be continued. I think that gradually taking the power away from the warlords, as Mr. Karzai rightly pointed out, is going to be a key success for the next administration to take place. And I think that in all of this, the key is going to be having different ethnic groups, having the different commanders and others come under some sort of an administration that is going to resonate the aspirations of the Afghan people, that is going to reflect the interest of the international community. And beyond that, I think that to make sure that the right thing is going to be done for the people of Afghanistan.

CALLAWAY: Are you confident that when the attention is focused away from Afghanistan, when the U.S. forces leave and the British forces leave, that those warlords will not try to violently resume power in some way?

AMIN: I think that there is a difference right now, from the military aspect to the political aspect. I think that even if the military campaign is going to end, whenever it does, you still are going to have the political commitment by the international community. The Bonn agreement, having come part of the U.N. Security Council legislation, subsequently also of General Assembly legislation, requires the commitment of the international community, particularly the Muslim countries -- as well as prominent Muslim countries.

I think at the same time, appropriate figures within Mr. Karzai's administration and the long-term commitment by the Afghan Diaspora, these are key elements that are going to pave the way, hopefully, for some sort of -- for development of Afghanistan, for taking Afghanistan away from this gloomy and bleak past toward progressive Afghanistan of the future.

CALLAWAY: All right. And quickly before we leave, is Gul Agha the right guy for the position in Kandahar?

AMIN: I would say that Mr. Karzai would be in the right position to delegate power to whomever he deems necessary. He would be in a better position, but I would say as of now it might be a transition, we might go through a series of transitions in Kandahar and elsewhere.

CALLAWAY: Haron Amin, thank you very much for joining us today.

AMIN: Thank you.

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