Nic Robertson: Taliban decision could come quickly

Nic Robertson

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CNN) -- CNN Correspondent Nic Robertson is on assignment in Afghanistan, where he is one of the last remaining Western journalists. Robertson spoke with CNN's Paula Zahn on the situation in Afghanistan.

ZAHN: What is the very latest out of Afghanistan?

ROBERTSON: Supreme leader Mullah (Mohammed) Omar of the Taliban has announced by radio that religious scholars should gather in Kabul (on Tuesday), 20 from each province. There are 30 provinces in Afghanistan. That's some 600 of the religious leaders in Afghanistan to gather in Kabul. And he said there they would make a decision about these issues (relating to) Osama bin Laden, about whether or not if Afghanistan is attacked by America, that they should declare a jihad. These will be the decisions that this religious leaders' council will be working on (Tuesday).

VIDEO CNN's Paula Zahn speaks to Nic Robertson about the latest developments in Afghanistan (September 17) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

ZAHN: Once these religious leaders meet, do you expect them to answer this demand within a three-day period?

ROBERTSON: They are quite capable of reaching consensus fairly quickly. There are a few key figures that most others in the council will look toward to influence them; after they have made their decision, it's likely that Mullah Omar will take that on board. It's also very likely that he can make a final ruling himself. So whatever they say may not be the complete and final outcome.

ZAHN: Do you have any idea of what number of people are trying to head for the Pakistani border?

ROBERTSON: The streets are still fairly busy, the markets are still busy. ... There is meat hanging on the hooks of the butcher shop, the bread stores are still making bread daily. ... Essentially in the streets it looks like business as usual, just a little thinner.

One doesn't see any big military preparation here driving down from Kabul. There are very few checkpoints along the road as one might think that there might be in a country so close possibly to a state of war. It does appear superficially business as normal.

Very few people in Afghanistan actually have the finances to get their families out. It's been 22 years of war ongoing here, and many people here have sort of a hand-to-mouth existence, if you will, really trying to figure out how they're going to get their meal on the table at the end of the day. They don't have the money to buy a car to get out of town; they can't buy the fuel to put in a car to get themselves out of town. The possibility for many of these people to leave, to get away, that's just not on here.

ZAHN: Even if Pakistan continues to cooperate and support the U.S. and its friendly nations' efforts, what will happen to Afghanistan when Pakistan no longer provides money to the Taliban, no longer provides weapons?

ROBERTSON: The Taliban would say they don't derive a lot of support from Pakistan, but most intelligence experts who've studied this region would say to the contrary.

Certainly (for) the Taliban ... one of the things they need most of all is soldiers. Many of those soldiers come from the religious schools across the border in Pakistan. Blocking relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan would dent the Taliban's military capabilities and will hurt the economy because a lot of food and economic trade goes on between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Even the short-term prognosis for the Taliban, under a sustained closure at the border of Pakistan under the abatement of relationships at a political level, has to really sound an alarm bell for the Taliban. It's not a good situation for them. There are really few other friends that they can turn toward at this time.

ZAHN: Do you expect to be leaked any information by the Taliban, or any other religious leaders, as they go about the process of trying to decide whether they will comply with this demand?

ROBERTSON: We had a few good people who are fairly well-placed to pick up (information) as they deliberate throughout the day, and I do expect that we'll be able to get some kind of a lead as the deliberation goes, but whatever the outcome of the deliberations of that religious council, it could still be counted on by Mullah Omar. He is the supreme religious leader of the Taliban, and his word is essentially law. He listens to all those around him, but he will make up his mind at the end of the day.