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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

Target Terrorism

Aired October 11, 2001 - 19:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: Target Terrorism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States will never forget the cruelty that was done here and in New York and in the sky over Pennsylvania.

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BLITZER: As somber memorials mark one month since America came under devastating attack, President Bush pledges an unrelenting war against terror. One hour from now he'll give the nation a progress report.

The air war continues in Afghanistan lighting up the sky over Kabul. As the U.S. targets leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, where's Osama bin Laden?

They're fighting the Taliban on the ground. Should the U.S. be backing Afghanistan's Northern Alliance? We'll have a debate as America targets terrorism.

Good evening. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight from Washington.

We begin with a new warning from the FBI about the possibility of more terrorist attacks in the next several days. CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor joins me now live with the latest. David.

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, the FBI put out a warning that there is a high probability that in the next several days there could be terrorist attacks against either the United States itself or U.S. targets around the world. And officials say they see a high probability, that there is intelligence that causes them to have concern about this. They find the evidence of possible attacks credible, but there's no specific information about which targets are planned to be attacked.

There is a warning out by the FBI, which perhaps we ought to read so people can see exactly how the government is putting it. The FBI warning on the Web site says: "Certain information, while not specific as to target, gives the government reason to believe that there may be additional terrorist attacks within the United States and against U.S. interests overseas over the next few days. The FBI has again alerted all local law enforcement to be on the highest alert and we call on all people to immediately notify the FBI and local law enforcement of any unusual or suspicious activities."

Now, Wolf, U.S. officials say there was some debate over whether to put this warning out. They have had other threats since September 11th, and in fact, before that. But the feeling was that people ought to be vigilant, that they ought to know there's new information since Monday. And this information, by the way, is about the Al Qaeda groups, terrorist threats form that group.

BLITZER: That's Osama bin Laden's group. Now you also have some new information, David, about Mohamed Atta. He's the suspected ringleader of the September 11th hijackings.

ENSOR: Well, that's right. As you know, he was one of the suicide hijackers who died on September 11th on one of those aircraft. And we had previously reported on September 19th that he met with an Iraqi intelligence official somewhere in Europe. Well, I'm now able to tell you, based on information from U.S. sources, he met not once but twice with Iraqi intelligence officers in Prague in the Czech Republic: once last year in June of 2000 and once in April of 2001.

Now, while they are saying that this doesn't prove an Iraqi connection by any means, so they're not even in fact really sure that there is an Iraqi connection, it is interesting and it is something they're looking at very closely.

BLITZER: I'm sure they'll be looking at it and we'll be looking at it as well. David Ensor, national security correspondent, thank you very much.

And the bombing campaign in Afghanistan continues unabated today as the Pentagon claims the high-tech U.S. weapons are hitting their targets with deadly accuracy.

Let's go live to CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie.

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... what's happening on the ground with the military campaign in Afghanistan, but as you said the Pentagon is providing more evidence to back up its claim that it's having a great success, although it's very early in the campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): On day five, the Pentagon released video of strikes several days ago when U.S. warplanes were still mopping up Taliban air defenses, such as these surface-to-air missiles near Kandahar, which were not hit the first night. Pentagon sources say the latest U.S. bombing is concentrating on Taliban forces and their leaders. For example, this headquarters barracks in Mazar-e-Sharif.

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: To the extent we have good information, we have been attempting to deal with concentrations of military capability, and to the extent they happen to be done in a way that advantages the opposition forces on the ground, all for the better.

MCINTYRE: Rumsfeld said some of that good information is coming from various people on the ground in Afghanistan, but he would not be more specific.

RUMSFELD: We're getting information from the ground, and to the extent it's actionable, that information, we then are using it for targeting.

MCINTYRE: The bombing may seem more intense in Afghanistan, but the Pentagon says the level of effort has been fairly consistent over the first five days. Rumsfeld confirmed the U.S. is dropping what he called "big ones": bunker-busting bombs against varied targets and getting some results.

RUMSFELD: I have seen several examples where there were normal secondary explosions in some cases that went on for several hours after targeting underground facilities.

MCINTYRE: So far, the bombing is designed to deny the Taliban as much of their aircraft and weaponry as possible. Sources say a big transport plane at the Herat airport was apparently loaded with ammunition, based on the secondary explosions that destroyed it after the airfield was stuck with cluster bombs.

As for reports of civilian deaths, the Pentagon says it regrets the loss of life, but it's offering no apologies, noting it doesn't target civilians like terrorists do.

RUMSFELD: It comes with ill-grace for the Taliban to be suggesting that we're doing what they have made a practice and a livelihood out of.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: The United States now has special operations forces in two countries that border Afghanistan: Uzbekistan and Pakistan, although Pentagon officials are saying that those troops primarily are there to search for downed pilots, although Pakistan is allowing the U.S. to use its bases as refueling spots if the U.S. launches special operations missions from the aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean. Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie, is the Pentagon signaling how long these airstrikes will continue?

MCINTYRE: Well, it's not giving any timetables, but every indication here is that don't look for ground troops to arrive in Afghanistan any time soon. The Pentagon seems content to harass the Taliban and the Al Qaeda network from the air, trying to keep them on the run, and then give some time to see what's going to happen with the groups that oppose them and particularly the Northern Alliance. The weather is going to be getting bad soon, and some people here indicated that the harassment from the air could continue for some time.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

And President Bush meanwhile honored the victims of the September 11th attacks and vowed America will destroy what he called the evil of terrorism. In less than an hour he'll hold his first prime-time news conference at the White House.

Let's go live to our senior White House correspondent, John King, for a little preview. John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we are told the president decided this morning he wanted to hold a news conference, first so that he could deliver an opening statement, a progress report on the war on terrorism in the one month since those strikes on September 11th. We're told the president will reassure the American people the campaign is well under way, offer a general update on the military campaign, praise the international coalition-building, also take some time to say that the first shot, as he called it, fired in this war -- the financial crackdown on terrorism -- is in his view having success.

And on that note -- we should note the president won't say this -- but CNN has learned that the Treasury Department tomorrow will announce it is significantly expanding that list of organizations whose assets -- individuals and organizations -- whose assets it wants frozen: not only at banks in the United States, but also around the world. Twenty-seven individuals and entities on the first list. We're told a close to final draft of the proposal today had another 20 to 25 organizations on it. We will get that announcement tomorrow from the Treasury Department.

Mr. Bush met with his Cabinet today to get a firsthand assessment of the war on terrorism so far. So far, so good was his message there, but we also know he will tell the American people tonight this is a campaign that is just beginning, that he needs patience from the American people.

Interesting timing, of course: This in part designed to offer a reassuring statement to the American people, but it comes just hours after that new FBI advisory you were just discussing with David Ensor. And we're also told lastly, Wolf, the president will have a new announcement on the humanitarian effort here. We are told this announcement is, quote, "significant" in the view of one senior administration official. We're also told it involves new money, a new commitment to humanitarian aid, but it is not government money, some form of private sector cooperation with the Bush administration in what the president has said is a top priority even as the military campaign continues feeding the Afghan people. Wolf.

BLITZER: John, we haven't seen or heard much from the vice president, Dick Cheney, lately, although he was at the White House today. Tell us what the vice president is up to.

KING: We did see him and he actually gave us a wave on his way out. The vice president had not been here since Sunday, since moments after the president announced the strike on Afghanistan was under way. You see the wave there as the vice president left the White House complex. He came in at mid-afternoon, a little after 2 o'clock. We're told he had one lengthy meeting on what one top aide called war planning and other post-9/11, September 11th consequences.

The vice president intimately involved in the military planning, but also in the homeland defense debate about fighting terrorism here at home. He then headed out of the complex for the night. The White House refusing still to give us much detail about his schedule, whether he will be back tomorrow. They say that is a necessary security precaution, again because of the continued risk of terrorist strikes here in Washington and around the country. Wolf.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, thank you very much. And of course, CNN will bring you live coverage of the president's news conference. It's scheduled to begin in less than an hour at 8:00 p.m. eastern, 5:00 Pacific. Our coverage will begin at 7:45 eastern, a little bit more than a half hour from now.

And they're already fighting the Taliban, and they're eager for U.S. help. But should the U.S. back the Northern Alliance? We'll have a debate. And I'll speak with CNN's Kamal Hyder after reporting from Taliban territory. He's now made it out of Afghanistan. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. As the United States attacks Taliban targets from the air, a ground war continues in Northern Afghanistan, where a coalition of anti-Taliban forces today claim to have captured a key province. Should the United States support this Northern Alliance whose members have fought one another in the past?

Joining me now, Haron Amin, the Washington representative of the Alliance, the Afghan United Front, and Dr. Nasim Ashraf who heads the Pakistani-American Political Action Committee. Thanks, gentlemen, for joining us.

What are you hearing, first of all, Haron, from the front right now? Has your Northern Alliance scored any inroads against the Taliban?

HARON AMIN, AFGHAN UNITED FRONT REPRESENTATIVE: Well, we were waiting for the air campaign to start, and hopefully with our coordination on the ground, hopefully when the right time comes that we will strike. And of course, we have struck today, and the town of (UNINTELLIGIBLE) right now is in our hands.

There was also mobility in other parts of the country, but we hope that in the next couple of days we are going to be able to score major victories against the Taliban.

BLITZER: Why, Dr. Ashraf doesn't Pakistan, the government of Pakistan trust the Northern Alliance, which is now fighting the Taliban when the Pakistani government also wants to get rid of the Taliban apparently. DR. NASIM ASHRAF, PAKISTANI TASK FORCE ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Well, to understand this I think we have to take a look at the history. And it isn't that the Pakistanis do or do not trust, simply that there should be representative government in Afghanistan. We should have peace with all its neighbors, which should be based on the ethnic mix of Afghanistan. But what happened was...

BLITZER: Let me interrupt you for one second. On that point, Mr. Amin, would the Northern Alliance work with all the various ethnic groups, the various tribes in Afghanistan, to form a democratic government if the Taliban should be overthrown?

AMIN: We have said it all along. That's what we want. We want to go toward democracy. We want to go toward a representative government that will have in it both segments of the Afghan society. The problem is in the past you had the Taliban, directed under the military intelligence of Pakistan, not willing to do that. They are intransigent, and their sense of seclusiveness has been well- manifested.

BLITZER: All right. Let's get a response.

ASHRAF: I think, you know, that's what I was referring to, history. The Afghan tribal structure in society broke down during the Soviet invasion, and then between '91 and '95, actually it was the chaos and total breakdown, at which time the Northern Alliance, led by Rabani and having a coalition government, resulted literally we believe in the emergence of the Taliban.

So I think what would be critical right now would be that there are a lot of factions in Afghanistan. There are Pashtun commanders, there are non-Pashtun commanders. As the administration has said very rightfully, all of these different elements should be aided, and political goals set for Afghanistan post-Taliban. It will be a vital -- it would be a terrible mistake that the soft underbelly of the Soviets, which is Central Asia -- and then the belly-button of that, if I may say so, is Afghanistan -- should be allowed to go back under the Soviet direction and Iranian influence.

And I think that's the real fear that people have in that part of the world, that to resolve these issues, there should be a broad, representative government, not under the influence of any outside power. And it should be at peace with its neighbors.

BLITZER: Well, one proposal on the table -- I don't want to go through the history, because we know the Northern Alliance accuses the Pakistani military intelligence of creating the Taliban. The Pakistani government accuses the Northern Alliance of creating the Taliban. Let's forget about the history right now.

Would you support the return of the exiled king of Afghanistan from Rome to lead some sort of coalition that would bring all of the various tribes, the ethnic groups in Afghanistan together under one at least temporary umbrella?

AMIN: We sent, our delegation was in Rome two weeks ago when I was last on your show. I explained to the audience that's what we want. There is going to be some sort of council of national unity that will take us hopefully toward (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and then the establishment of a transitional government.

The very strange thing is that President Musharraf himself objected to the whole role of the former monarch and incited some sort of inflammatory ethnic numbers...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Let me ask that. Dr. Ashraf, is that true?

ASHRAF: No, as a matter of fact, the king has sent an emissary to Pakistan now. The king has been in communication with Pakistan. And Pakistan facilitated even in the beginning, in '92 and '95. In '92, the coalition that led to the coalition of the Northern Alliance government was called the Islamabad Agreement of 1992, in which Pakistan played the central role in trying to bring order to Afghanistan.

I think the biggest mistake there was that there was no reconstruction effort. And I think that's where the United States (UNINTELLIGIBLE) its policy. Now we're talking here about Pakistan and Afghanistan...

BLITZER: It sounds like -- it sounds...

AMIN: It's important here to cite -- and this is extremely important. First of all, even we see that (UNINTELLIGIBLE), which right now (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

BLITZER: Which is the military intelligence.

AMIN: Yes -- of Pakistan. That General (UNINTELLIGIBLE) was implicated for having voided the transfer of $100,000 to Mohamed Atta, and that's why we know...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Before we get into that, let me ask you this. The fact is...

ASHRAF: There is no proof of that. The FBI never said that.

BLITZER: The fact is that the Northern Alliance does receive support from Iran, does...

AMIN: It's an action-reaction game, Wolf.

BLITZER: Let me ask you this question...

AMIN: In the '80s, we were invaded by the former Soviet Union. The free world reacted. In the 1990s, we were invaded by the military intelligence of Pakistan. The Afghan neighbors reacted. Right now, as we speak, Security Council resolutions 1267 and 1333 that have sanctions on the Taliban, the expert committee on that are saying that 15,000 Pakistanis are fighting shoulder to shoulder...

BLITZER: All right. Can it be possible that the Pakistani government and the Northern Alliance can work together with the United States and its coalition partners to defeat the Taliban and Osama bin Laden?

ASHRAF: I think that exactly should be the goal. And I think (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it's a very obvious fact, that's in the best interest of the United States. That what order comes to Afghanistan should be representative. And the king is already in communication with Pakistan.

Pakistan's strategic, basic goal is not to have a hostile neighbor on its western border, because it cannot afford to have two fronts. And I think that is a dual political reality.

The key point to remember over there is that to restore order to Afghanistan, the power would have to be taken out of the hands of the military commanders, such as those of the Northern Alliance and the Pashtuns, and given back to the village...

(CROSSTALK)

AMIN: Well, the leader of Pakistan himself is the leader of the military junta, and for him it's very unseemly as a statesperson to insinuate any inflammatory remarks about Afghanistan. This is our issue. Tell Pakistan to keep away from it.

As long as the United States is able to communicate this to President Pervez Musharraf, I think we'll in the end have peace in Afghanistan: a friendly government, but not a subservient government.

BLITZER: All right, we'll have to leave it right there unfortunately. We'll continue this debate. It doesn't look like it's going to go away any time soon. Haron Amin...

ASHRAF: Just one last point. I think we need to really think long term here. We should not in the political expediency...

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: All right. On that point, we've got to leave it right there. Thank you, Dr. Nasim Ashraf, thanks. Thanks to both of you for joining us.

And up next, a dangerous journey out of Afghanistan. When we come back, we'll hear from CNN's Kamal Hyder with an eyewitness account of the U.S. attacks on the Taliban.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: CNN's Kamal Hyder has been in Afghanistan and witnessed firsthand the attacks on the Taliban. He's now safely in Pakistan after making a very dangerous journey out of Afghanistan. I spoke with him a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Kamal, first of all, we're really happy that you got out safe and sound from Afghanistan. How dangerous was it during those final days you were there?

KAMAL HYDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it became very intense, because the Taliban intelligence started to improve its efficiency, and this improvement in efficiency was because most people left the city and you had entire neighborhoods with nobody living there. So it became much easier for the security personnel and for the intelligence to be able to keep a watch on the remaining people. Wolf.

BLITZER: What did you see, Kamal, as you were leaving Afghanistan on your way back to Pakistan?

HYDER: Well, I took a very tortuous, difficult route over the mountains, so I did not see many people, but I was told that a few days ago some people braved these difficult passes through the mountains. There are numerous passes through the mountains, which are easy for people to be able to cross over. That is, of course, also becoming more and more difficult as the Pakistani military forces try to seal this border and are fanning out basically to make movement of people across the border more difficult, Wolf.

BLITZER: I know that you were there, of course, on Sunday when the U.S. and British airstrikes began. There have been reports of civilian casualties. What, if anything, can you tell us about those reports?

HYDER: Well, at this moment there are four confirmed casualties in Kabul (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and now talk coming out of Kandahar that an ammunition dump may have been hit. And when these projectiles were falling all over the place, that possibly there were casualties, civilian casualties.

They haven't been able to count the dead and to be able to ascertain whether these are indeed civilians. Wolf.

BLITZER: And Kamal, what about all these stories that we're reading about defections within the ranks of the Taliban? How serious are these defections, if they really are?

HYDER: Well, at this moment, there are no indications to indicate that these defections are anything big. The defections on the borders in the north, that has been a standard procedure: commanders switching allegiances, going to and fro -- inside, buying loyalties of commanders. So those defections, of course, have been taking place even before the allied action.

However, when you look at the rank-and-file Taliban, you do not see any strong indications that there are desertions. Wolf.

BLITZER: Kamal Hyder, thank you very much for joining us. And I think I speak for all of us at CNN, all of our viewers, in saying that we're really happy that you made it out safe and sound. You had us scared for a while, but we're happy you're now back in Pakistan. Thank you so much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And for our viewers in North America, "CROSSFIRE" comes your way at the bottom of the hour. Here's Bill Press with a preview. Bill.

BILL PRESS, CO-HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Wolf, what kind of terrorist attacks are next? Will it be bioterrorism, and if so how prepared are we to prevent it or fight it? Before you run out and buy a gas mask, watch "CROSSFIRE," next, right after you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you. We certainly will. And we'll be back in just a moment with the latest developments, including new warnings of possible terrorist attacks. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Updating the latest developments in the battle against terrorism. The FBI says there is reason to believe that more terrorist attacks may happen in the next several days in the United States or against U.S. interests overseas. The Bureau says the warning was prompted by certain information that was not specific as to the possible targets.

And U.S. officials say suspected suicide hijacker Mohamed Atta met not once but twice with Iraqi intelligence officers in Prague. Officials in the U.S. called the meetings, quote, "interesting," but say they are far from proof that Iraq had a direct hand in the terrorist attacks on the United States.

That's all the time we have this evening. Please stay with CNN throughout the night. We'll have live coverage of the president's news conference at the top of the hour. Our coverage begins at 7:45 eastern, in about 15 minutes.

And please join me again tomorrow at both 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. eastern as America targets terrorism. Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "CROSSFIRE" begins right now.

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