On The Scene: The Afghan Resistance

The daily threats from the Taliban military government of Afghanistan have only strengthened the resolve of the guerrilla army that is the Afghan opposition - the Northern Alliance.

CBS News Correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports from the Panjshir Valley, a northern Afghan region controlled by the resistance.

After hearing from the Russians that more support including arms is on the way, the Northern Alliance forces are ready to step up their fighting against the Taliban.

Near Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, the Northern Alliance fighters are in action. They are optimistic that they'll be able to move into the capitol soon.

"As soon as possible we will attack, as soon as possible to enter Kabul," proclaims Commander Rahmat Ramazan, spokesman for the Northern Alliance.

On Sept. 9, Ahmed Shah Massood, the charismatic leader of the Alliance, was assassinated by suicide bombers. The northern alliance says the bombers were sent by the Taliban.

Already Masood's tomb has become a martyrs' shrine for Northern Alliance fighters and they say his death has strengthened their resolve to battle on.

I've just come back from the mosque, where there was a ceremony for Ahmed Shah Massood. The president of the Northern Alliance said that the attack on the World Trade Center was the sound of the bell that would wake the west to the sound of international terrorism and called on the Americans to use the Northern Alliance forces and intelligence to topple the Taliban.

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