Return to Transcripts main page

On the Story

Is the Taliban Surrendering Konduz?

Aired November 22, 2001 - 09:29   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us now from Chicago, CNN military analyst and retired Army General David Grange. Good morning General, glad to have you back with us today and Happy Thanksgiving to you.

GENERAL DAVID GRANGE, (RET), U.S. ARMY CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Happy Thanksgiving to you Leon.

HARRIS: Well let's talk about this apparent Taliban surrender agreement that was reached in Konduz, but getting still, just moments ago we had a report from our Satinder Bindra about some fighting that has just erupted there moments ago. What's your take on all of that?

GRANGE: Well it appears, I think the Taliban does want to surrender or if it's not really surrendering, at least make an agreement with the anti Taliban forces. I'd be a bit leery about are they going to turn over the foreign fighters, the mercenaries that come from other Muslim states that are supporting the Taliban, because their future is grim, I would think, in the hands of the anti Taliban forces. And that may be why you see out in the area outside of Konduz some scrimmaging going on. That may have been a breakout of what they call breakout of the circlement (ph) from Konduz itself and some fighting going on there, some forces have said the heck with this.

HARRIS: Well if those are some of the so-called foreign Taliban fighters (INAUDIBLE) al Qaeda members, is it possible perhaps that there could be a big boon in rounding that particular group up who are fighting right now, since they might be nothing but al Qaeda?

GRANGE: That's right. You may have an agreement where the Taliban forces actually make the agreement with the anti Taliban forces. They move out of the area and you still have a hard core cell in there that doesn't go along with the agreement. I just can't see the actual ethnic Afghan-Taliban fighters having that much control over these foreign mercenaries that are really hard core fighters.

HARRIS: And they're the ones with a lot to lose right now too.

GRANGE: Right.

HARRIS: How about Kandahar? That's still holding out strong, the Taliban there. Can we expect that to change anytime soon?

GRANGE: Well I think we're going through a process of where they're trying to negotiate changing of sides to avoid the combat, because the fighting in the city is always tougher than anywhere else and they're trying to keep that combat down, I think, until they see, hey anybody that's sitting on the fence actually changes or not. So I just think it's a delay period as these things are being worked out.

HARRIS: All right, how about the U.S. special forces -- hundreds of them are already on the ground in Afghanistan searching for Osama bin Laden and even more of them could get involved. What's the word on all that?

GRANGE: Well I think (INAUDIBLE) can be very proud about the special operation forces and other forces -- general purpose forces that are in Afghanistan and the countries that support the efforts in Afghanistan. The special forces are trained for just this kind of mission. It's right in their doctrine, work in unconventional warfare, work in interdiction operations, work in (INAUDIBLE) forces, taking what's on the ground that may be a very slim capability and turn it into a capability that can win. Really we get -- we get our money's worth out of the special forces operations and this economy of force type of deployment.

HARRIS: General David Grange in Chicago, thank you very much and once again for coming in on this holiday. We sure do appreciate that.

GRANGE: My pleasure.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: And we wish you a happy holiday.

GRANGE: Same to you.

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