Michael Ware

Journalist

AAM: "This conflict is not going to be won with bombs and bullets alone; the generals and the diplomats all agree on that."


Length: 4:18

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John Roberts and Kiran Chetry each talk to Michael about the Pakistan exclusive, and we also hear from US Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke on the administration's position regarding talking with the Taliban leadership.



JOHN ROBERTS: Coming up on nine minutes now to the top of the hour. Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning.

A story that you'll see only on CNN. Pakistan's military says it is in touch with the top Taliban leader in Afghanistan, and that they can bring him to the negotiating table to talk with American officials. The White House? Said to be considering the plan.

Our Michael Ware broke this exclusive story. He joins us now live from Baghdad with the very latest.

The White House's special envoy to the South Asia region, Holbrooke -- Richard Holbrooke, said that he sees this as being a step forward, that Pakistani officials are in touch with elements of the Taliban. And we remember during the election campaign that then-candidate Obama said America has to talk to its enemies, Michael.

MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John. And this is quite potentially the first major development in what's going to necessarily have to be part of a political process that will eventually end this conflict in Afghanistan, because this conflict is not going to be won with bombs and bullets alone. The generals and the diplomats all agree on that.

Now the Afghan president Hamid Karzai has been reaching out to the Taliban. But the Taliban are in their sanctuaries in Pakistan. So the true hope for any kind of dialogue still lays or lies with the Pakistani military. And their acknowledgment that they are in touch with the top Taliban leadership has been welcomed by the U.S.

And let's have a listen to what Ambassador Holbrooke told me just the other day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN & PAKISTAN: The United States supports any effort at reconciliation as long as the efforts at reconciliation include laying down your arms, accepting the constitution and -- and, Michael, I want to stress this -- breaking with al-Qaeda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARE: Now, according to the man known as the Godfather of the Taliban, the former head of Pakistan's equivalent of the CIA, Hamid Gall, a man who has had possibly decades-long personal relationship with Osama Bin Laden, also told us in a separate interview that such a break between the Taliban and al Qaeda may indeed be possible.

John?

ROBERTS: What are the chances, do you think, Michael, that American officials might ever sit down with Mullah Muhammad Omar? He was one of America's most wanted.

WARE: Indeed, John. There's still a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. But I can tell you that diplomats are telling me a list of at least four senior Afghan commanders that they are willing to talk with. And it just so happens that not only are they the most powerful commanders, but they are the same four commanders that the Pakistanis say that they are prepared to bring to the table.

And, indeed, as to the White House, the Obama administration's willingness to talk to this Taliban leadership, again, the president's personal envoy said that the door is open.

Let's listen once more to Ambassador Holbrooke.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLBROOKE: Let me be very clear. I'm neither going to rule out or rule in anything on such a hypothetical basis. And I'm not going to get drawn into speculation on an issue this complicated. But I want to underscore existing policy that has been addressed by everybody in the U.S. government from the president on down.

There is room in Afghanistan for Taliban people who have fought with the Taliban, who are willing to participate in the political structure, who are willing to disassociate and renounce al Qaeda, and who are willing to lay down their arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARE: Baby steps on what most likely will be a long road, John. But is this perhaps the first we've seen of a potential end to the conflict that has rapidly become President Obama's war?

John?

ROBERTS: Fascinating developments. Great job breaking that story. Michael Ware for us in Baghdad.

Michael, thanks so much.

Kiran?



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KIRAN CHETRY: Welcome back to the Most News in the Morning. A developing story you'll see only on CNN. Pakistan's military says it is in contact with the top Taliban leader in Afghanistan. And they say they can bring him to the negotiating table to talk to U.S. officials. Now, the White House said to be considering this plan. Our Michael Ware broke this exclusive story. He joins us live from Baghdad.

So Michael, White House special envoy Richard Holbrooke says that Pakistan talking with the Taliban is a step forward. And President Obama said during the campaign that America has to talk with its enemies. So, where do you think this leaves us?

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this could theoretically be the first -- the beginning of the end. I mean, certainly in terms of baby steps on the long road that it would take to reach a political conclusion. But what's significant this morning, Kiran, is that from the president's personal envoy, Ambassador Holbrooke, we're hearing the Obama administration's initial response to this extraordinary Pakistani offer to help broker talks, an offer the Bush administration waited fruitlessly seven years to hear.

So, let us take a listen to what Ambassador Holbrooke said about the nature of the Pakistani moves at reconciliation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD HOLBROOKE, SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN: The United States supports any effort at reconciliation as long as the efforts of reconciliation include laying down your arms, accepting the constitution, and -- and, Michael, I want to stress this -- breaking with al Qaeda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WARE: And as the so-called godfather of the Taliban, the former head of Pakistan's equivalent of the ISI, told me in a separate on- camera interview such a break between the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden, a man that this former spy chief has known for decades, is possible. So now it's up to the Obama administration how they respond to this Pakistani offer, Kiran.

CHETRY: The interesting thing when you heard what some of those conditions would be if the U.S. was to talk with Mullah Omar and others. The Taliban is not just against the United States, but also against the government in Afghanistan right now. So how would - how could you trust that if they indeed agreed to lay down arms that when we left that wouldn't change?

WARE: Well, that's why you need the involvement of the regional players. America shouldn't be, according to some, the regional policemen. That should be up to the Pakistanis who share a border there, the Indians who have heavily invested in the governments in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and Iran. And we hear from a recent Taliban statement that what they're fighting for is self-governance, the ethnic Pashtuns of the south don't feel they have representation in the capital. And that's one of the things they're fighting for.

Nonetheless, the Obama administration is open to these talks in the hope that it will lead to the political solution that everyone's waiting for. Again, let's turn to Ambassador Holbrooke and our exclusive interview. Let's have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLBROOKE: Let me be very clear. I'm neither going to rule out or rule in something on such a hypothetical basis and I'm not going to get drawn into speculation on an issue this complicated. But I want to underscore existing policy that has been addressed by everybody in the U.S. government from the president on down: there is room in Afghanistan for Taliban people who have fought with the Taliban who are willing to participate in a political structure, who are willing to disassociate and renounce al Qaeda, and who are willing to lay down their arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WARE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The first steps in ending what's become President Obama's war in Afghanistan, we're going to have to watch very closely to wait and see -- Kiran.

CHETRY: Yes. Very, very interesting development, though. Michael Ware, who broke this story for us on Friday. Thanks.