AC: "It's the Pakistani
military who tolerates the presence of groups like the
Taliban."
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Length: 5:18
LARGE (61.6 MB)
-----
SMALL (6.5 MB)
Prior to returning to Baghdad last month,
Michael spent several weeks in Pakistan, and
tonight we finally get to see some of reason why he
was there -- he travelled to the
Pakistan/Afghanistan border to take a look at what
it will take to win the war in Afghanistan. He has
a spokesman for the Pakistan Army saying on camera
they can bring the Taliban to the negotiating table
with the Americans. He also interviews the former
head of the ISI (a man also known as "the godfather
of the Taliban") who says that only Mullah Omar can
bring this war to an end.
In a live 'footnote' added tonight from Baghdad,
Michael says that the Obama administration is
willing to meet Pakistan's requirements to begin
negotiations, and to meet with the Taliban.
Michael also has an article on CNN.com about this
piece.
And this is not Michael's first time on the hunt
for Mullah Omar; in 2002 he made a
long and dangerous trip in an attempt to
locate him.
ERICA
HILL: Tonight, a 360 exclusive about a possible
opportunity to end the fighting in Afghanistan.
What used to be called America's forgotten war is now
America's fastest-growing war and President Obama's
top priority. At least 635 Americans have died in
combat there since the fighting began. There is a
massive American offensive under way right now, and
no one expects it to be the last one. But what if it
could be?
Tonight, in a 360 exclusive, Michael Ware has learned
about talks involving Pakistan and the Taliban and
how a deal to end attacks on Western forces just
might -- might -- be reached.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): I came
to these mountains to unravel how the Taliban in
Afghanistan are based from here across the border in
Pakistan.
In these remote mountain valleys of Pakistan's
Northwest Frontier Province, the Taliban can hide,
train, smuggle weapons, and launch military strikes
against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
For generations, the border here has been little more
than a vague blur among the peaks. And that is what
is crippling the American effort in Afghanistan.
(on camera): To put it simply, America cannot win the
war in Afghanistan. It certainly can't win it with
bombs and bullets, and it can't win it in Afghanistan
alone. For part of the answer lies here, where I'm
standing, in these mountain valleys in Pakistan on
the Afghan border, because this is al Qaeda and
Taliban territory. Right now, there's as many as 100
Taliban on that mountaintop between the snowcapped
peaks and amid those trees. They're currently under
siege from local villagers, who are driving them from
their bunkers. But, at the end of the day, it's the
Pakistani military who tolerates the presence of
groups like the Taliban.
And it's not until America can start cutting deals
with these people that there's any hope of the
attacks on American troops coming to an end.
(voice-over): The key leader the U.S. may have to
deal with is this man, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the
one-eyed cleric who actually created the Taliban and
led its regime, the man who, after the 9/11 attacks,
sheltered Osama bin Laden, choosing war with the U.S.
rather than surrender bin Laden.
Even with a $10 million reward on his head, Mullah
Omar has defied all American attempts to capture or
kill him. He still commands the Afghan Taliban as
they continue killing U.S. and NATO troops. He and
other top commanders do all of this, according to
U.S. intelligence, from sanctuaries here in Pakistan.
It was the Pakistan military who helped create the
Taliban. When the CIA was funding many of these same
Afghan groups in the 1980s in their war against the
Soviets, it was the Pakistan military that delivered
the money, expertise and weapons like Stinger
missiles.
Now, for the first time, in this CNN interview, the
Pakistan military concedes it still maintains contact
with the Taliban. At the military headquarters, we
met Major General Athar Abbas, who concedes, the
army's links with the Taliban were toned down after
9/11, but:
MAJOR GENERAL ATHAR ABBAS, PAKISTANI ARMY SPOKESMAN:
But, having said that, no intelligence organization
in the world shuts its last door on any other
organization.
WARE: And, more than talking to the Taliban, the
general says the Pakistan military can actually get
the Taliban to sit down with the United States and
broker a cease-fire.
(on camera): And that's where Pakistan can perhaps
provide valuable assistance to the American mission?
ABBAS: I think, yes, that can be worked out. That's
possible.
WARE (voice-over): And this is one of the men who
says he can help work that deal.
GENERAL HAMID GUL (RET.), FORMER ISI DIRECTOR
GENERAL: People like me, who serve the cause of the
freedom of Afghanistan.
WARE: Former CIA ally General Hamid Gul, once the
head of Pakistan's equivalent of the CIA, known as
the ISI, he is famed as the godfather of the Taliban.
GUL: The guarantees can be given, no problem.
WARE (on camera): How? In terms of American national
interests, who does America need to dialogue with?
GUL: Mullah Omar, nobody else.
WARE (voice-over): Mullah Omar, the most important
Taliban leader.
But to get him and the other Taliban to the table,
Pakistan wants something in return. It wants the
United States to use its influence to rein in
Pakistan's number-one military rival, India.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WARE: India's close association with the U.S.-backed
government in Afghanistan worries the Pakistanis. And
the Pakistanis accuse India of supporting armed
separatists in one of Pakistan's provinces.
Senior U.S. officials tell CNN the Obama
administration is willing to raise those concerns
with India, and that the U.S. is willing to talk with
Mullah Omar and other Taliban commanders -- Erica.
HILL: It will be interesting to see if those talks
ever actually happen.
Michael Ware live for us in Baghdad with that
exclusive, thanks.