Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

America Strikes Back: Look at First Phase of Attacks

Aired October 08, 2001 - 09:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: General Wesley Clark back with us once again, looking at not only Afghanistan, but the further military operations that we do anticipate. It will be nightfall about an hour 90 minutes from now.

You don't call this a second phase at this point. What do you call it? A continuation of the first?

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think it's a continuation of the first phase. We're going to go back in there tonight. We'll probably have some more targets. There may be some airfields that we struck in one way or two; we want to take the rest of it out. We want to take a few more bunkers in some place. And we'll finish up this phase. It may take a day or two, depends on weather, the dust from the explosions and so forth.

HEMMER: Donald Rumsfeld called it successful. How does he know at this point?

CLARK: Got all our aircraft back. Pilots probably said no problems with any of the linkups, got all the targets, all weapons released on the targets. First phase assessment.

HEMMER: He also said this problem is not going to be rooted out by cruise missiles, clearly an indication that this operation is not strictly military.

CLARK: Right, and that it's not going to be able to be done by remote targeting. May need some troops in there on the ground to put eyes on the targets. May need some aircraft orbiting overhead with laser-guided weapons, or maybe even troops maybe from the Northern Alliance. Maybe some special forces operation to search areas, go into building look in cave caves and so forth.

HEMMER: Take us to the map, again, over Afghanistan. The British are saying 30 targets were hit last night. Tell us more.

CLARK: What we've got here is an array of airfields around the outside of Afghanistan, one in the center. These very struck apparently. A troop concentration up here was struck. Command-and- control facilities here and here, terrorist training camps. It's what we would doctrinely strike at first. We want to get control of the skies. We want take out his air-defense network that could threaten our aircraft, so we've got complete freedom of maneuver overhead. HEMMER: The way you talk, nothing surprises you, at least based on what we know thus far.

CLARK: This is a conventional start to what's going to be a very conventional operation.

HEMMER: OK, what happens then, as we continue to move forward, not just today, but again, possibly into Tuesday or Wednesday. We were told, again, a sustained strike. Does that mean continual hits every time the sun goes down?

CLARK: I think there will be continual hits not only when the sun goes down, but within a day or two during daylight hours, and I think the options are open after that, Bill. It could be that we will see some movement on the part of the Northern Alliance here, moving toward Kabul or moving toward Uzbekistan. It could be that what we'll see is more U.S. special forces inserted somewhere to help us in the targeting, or a combination of both of those.

HEMMER: Do you think there are any special forces on the ground at this time?

CLARK: It's just my guess. My guess would be there might be a few people down there.

HEMMER: Possibly directing airstrikes in certain areas.

CLARK: Possibly. We haven't got any indication on it.

HEMMER: Got it. General Clark, thanks. We'll talk again later this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com