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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK
U.N. to Look into Afghan Mass Grave
Aired August 21, 2002 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The United Nations is asking the Afghan government to establish a witness protection plan. It would allow investigators to find out more about a mass grave found last year in northern Afghanistan. A confidential U.N. report links the grave to possible war crimes.
CNN's Matthew Chance is in Kabul with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the United Nations has already moved to stem criticism that it's not doing enough to investigate this alleged mass grave site by saying its officials have earlier this year visited the site around the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. And the U.N. officials continue to do so, to make sure the site is not being tampered with.
They say three bodies recovered from the area show no evidence on them of sharp force injuries or any gunshot wounds or anything like that, indicating to U.N. pathologists that these people did, indeed, die of suffocation.
Before any deeper, more thorough investigation gets underway, though, the U.N. says it's looking to the Afghan government to launch a witness protection program to enable witnesses, people who want to come forward and testify about exactly what happened there back in November will be able to do so without any fear of retribution from any members, any people who may have committed these crimes still active in northern Afghanistan.
As this story unfolds, though, a lot of pressure, a lot of question marks being placed on the role of the United States. Remember, the figures in the Northern Alliance who were accused of carrying out these killings were the same people who worked hand in hand as the closest allies of U.S. forces on the ground in northern Afghanistan in their war in that part of the country at the end of last year and the beginning of 2002.
And so now that these stories are emerging of killings on such a wide scale, this could be deeply embarrassing for the administration in Washington.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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