Interview w editor of THE NEWS on the ground in Pakistan

FLASHPOINTS RADIO
produced by Dennis Bernstein

KPFA Flashpoints Radio, Saturday Evening, Sept 15, 2001
START AUDIO
-23:05 Noelle Hanrahan: interview with Rahim, news journalist on the ground in Pakistan, one of the last journalists to interview Osama Bin Laden: Rahim: this is an explosive situation, some support for the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden.. Dennis: I just heard the government agreed to support the U.S... Rahim: We heard U.S. made four demands (lists).. use our airport.. the right to overfly Pakistani territory sharing intelligence.. close the border.. we can not close all the border.. very difficult.. Pakistan hiding the agreement from the people.. telling the people they will not help fight Afghanistan.. about anti-American feeling.. the U.S. did not help in our war against India.. Dennis: do you have any indication Osama Bin Laden may have been involved.. Rahim: I do not have any information on that.. (call interrupted).. discussion.. Noelle: Russia is not cooperating, Saudi Arabia facing popular dissent for its (limited) cooperation..
-32:30 music break, Bob Marley: War
-35:00 Dennis w Rahim: Why the anti-U.S. feeling in Pakistan. 1) the U.S. did not support Pakistan in its war with Indian; 2) because of the U.S. policy in the Middle East, toward the Palestinians; 3) Pakistani people say Osama is justified in saying no foreign troops in his home country, Saudi Arabia.. Rahim interviewed Bin Laden on Dec 23, 1998. Rahim: He had only about 20 fighters, lightly armed.. I was amazed.. how can he challenge the only superpower in the world.. the Taliban says it has taken his telephone, his fax, his computer.. he denied involvement, but said is supporting all those people attacking America.. because of the occupation of Saudi Arabia and the treatment of the Palestinians.. Rahim: he was very critical of Saddam Hussein.. i don\'t think there is an alliance between the two.. Refugees are fleeing Afghanistan.. for two decades.. five million refugees already.. this will increase.. Iran and Pakistan complaining the world has not been helping.. the Afghan people have been suffering (from the Russian invasion).. the Afghan people deserve gratitude.. the Americans did not lose one soldier in Afganistan, but Afghanistan turned the tide against Soviet communism.. the whole region will become unstabilized.. the Afghani people have suffered for 10-15 years, they will suffer more.. the last time the U.S. attacked Afghanistan they used cruise missiles.. the objectives of that attack were not realized: to kill Bin Laden, to destroy his infrastructure.. he was not even there.. Afghanis unite against foreign invaders.. Dennis: Afghanistan has said they will declare war against any other country who aligns with the U.S... Rahim: It will be hard in north Pakistan to side with the U.S... if Pakistan is seen as publicly seen as supporting the U.S. in an attack on Afghanistan.. about the assassination Sept 9 of a Afghan rebel leader.. Dennis: Rahim (sp?) is editor of The News, Pakistani English language newspaper.. Rahim: I don\'t think there any relationship between Arafat and Bin Laden.. discussion..
-53:37 End his segment of the show.. today\'s review by john lionheart

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