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American Morning

America Strikes Back: More Air Attacks Likely Tonight in Afghanistan

Aired October 08, 2001 - 10:02   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: This time yesterday, coalition warships and planes watched as night approached and military action inched ever closer. Nightfall is again enveloping Afghanistan, and with it, the likelihood of more air attacks.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is at the Pentagon and joins us with a closer look at early damage assessments and long-term plan of the battlefield.

You've got a lot to do, Bob. Take it away.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot to do.

First of all, this would be -- we would have to call this day two of the combat operations. Day two is going to include the damage estimates of day one. They haven't been quantified yet, although officials here say they are quite happy with the result. Day two almost certainly, we are told, will include further attacks. Now the attacks begin at nightfall, as you pointed out, Paula. Beforehand, of course, the cruise missiles were lined up on the decks of one of the ships that provided the cruise missile attacks, 50 of those Tomahawks missiles, ant then the aircraft carriers Enterprise and Vincent were the scenes of the strike jets being catapulted off the decks to do what they did.

There were also the B-1 bombers that flew from Diego Garcia, which is a British base in the Indian Ocean. There were B-52s that went, and there were also the stealth bombers, the B-2s, which flew all the way from Whiteman Airbase, which is near Kansas City.

Now there is going to be the short-range plan and there is going to the long-range plan. Of course we have heard it over ad and over. It's the ultimate elimination of terrorism, but even in the confrontation with Afghanistan, the secretary of defense made it clear there is a long-rage plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SEC. OF DEFENSE: The important thing is to realize this is not something that's going to happen fast, it's not an effort against the Afghan people. Indeed, we're providing humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. It is going to take a good deal of time. We need to be patient. We need to recognize that ultimately they are going to collapse from within, because they will be starved by the people that have been supporting them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: Now, do deal with the possibility of starvation among refugees in Afghanistan, Paula, they had a drop yesterday of humanitarian relief, some food packets, and they are expected to continue those today -- Paula.

ZAHN: And do we know how many they are going to attempt to drop today?

FRANKEN: We don't. We know that 37,000 plus were dropped yesterday, humanitarian daily rations they are called. They are ethnically friendly, religiously friendly. That is to say there's nothing in there, no meat products, for instance, which would offend any religions who might be the recipients to the people on the ground.

ZAHN: All right, Bob, and When are we likely to hear more from the Pentagon about how successful these strikes were?

FRANKEN: Well, there is going to be a damage estimate report that comes out at some point today. We are sure it is going to be made public, at least parts of it are. Of course others are probably not going to be. We are told it's a matter of hours, but no specific time has been given.

ZAHN: OK, we will come to you for that information.

Bob, thanks so much.

Let's go back it Atlanta, where Bill Hemmer continues to stand by.

Good morning, again.

FRANKEN: Paula, good morning to you. Watching a number of places throughout the world today, a number of capital cities, and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres saying Israel is fully behind the U.S. with regard to the strike.

CNN's Mike Hanna live in Jerusalem with the latest on Israel's position on this Monday.

Mike, hello.

MIKE HANNA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Bill.

Well, as you say, total support from Israel for the U.S.-led action in Afghanistan. And in fact, a spokesman for Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, says that President Bush phoned Mr. Sharon about an hour before the attack in Afghanistan began.

While this support among the Israelis, bitter divisions are forming amongst the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority has not yet formally given a reaction to the attack in Afghanistan. However, there was a march by Hamas extremists in the streets of Gaza in the morning, a march which the Palestinian Authority declared to be illegal, and in an unprecedented action, they forcibly disbursed the marchers, who were protesting against the United States, carrying posters of Osama bin Laden. They dispersed them forcefully with teargas, and reportedly live rounds. A number of Palestinians had been seriously injured in the shooting by the Palestinian police.

And we have heard throughout the afternoon that isolated incidents of shooting between masked militants and Palestinian security forces are continuing, so that the Palestinian authority, which has strongly condemned the September 11th attack on the United States, embarrassed by Hamas extremists on the streets, supporting the man that the U.S. holds responsible for those attacks, and on this occasion, taking very forceful action indeed to disperse the demonstrators -- Bill.

HEMMER: Mike, in a statement we heard on videotape yesterday from Osama bin Laden, he specifically mentioned Palestine and the future for the Palestinian people. Has that message gotten through? Any reaction from that taped announcement yesterday?

HANNA: Well, the Israelis have maintained, this is a statement that bin Laden reportedly made before, attempting to create a causal link between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the anti-American feeling, in particular the manifestation of that feeling in the attacks in the United States. But Israel has maintained that there is no connection between these issues. From the Palestinian point of view, they have gone to great lengths to disassociate themselves from that bin Laden statement last night.

The Palestinian minister of information says that the Palestinian Authority is totally against any acts of terror against civilians. They reject the bin Laden statement that the attacks on the U.S. could have resulted from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, though the minister does point out that Palestinians, he believes, are suffering under oppression, are suffering under Israeli aggression. However, he was careful to distance himself from the statements made by bin Laden, because the Palestinian Authority offered its support to the United States in its war against terror and attempted to distance itself very, very strongly from bin Laden himself -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Mike, a lot to track. Mike Hanna, live in Jerusalem. Thank you, Mike.

I want it take to you now to a view of the morning after in Afghanistan. I want to show you some exclusive video images. These came out of the southern city of Kandahar, the religious capital, one of the largest towns in all of Afghanistan. Again, at daybreak today, largely a ghost town, according to the videotape here.

Many Afghans, we are told, have fled the city, and those that remain have gone into virtual hiding. Security, as anticipated, is extremely tight, and no one is being allowed in there.

CNN obtained these exclusive images earlier today, and the Taliban ambassador says the offensive strayed from military targets and cost civilian lives on the ground. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL SALAM ZAEEF, TALIBAN AMB. TO PAKISTAN: Strikes were done on various places of Afghanistan. There was no differentiation on the civilian parts, on the military parts. According to the Americans, their objectives and their aims were military and terrorist camps. But unfortunately, the rockets launched in places, in dwelling places, have killed a number of 20 Afghans, including, women, children and elderly.

HEMMER: That statement coming about four hours ago. The Taliban also repeated that the coalition'S target, Osama bin Laden, they say is alive and well.

From Afghanistan, I want it go further east to Islamabad, Pakistan. Earlier today, there were a number of protesters who took to the streets, various cities in Quetta and also in Islamabad.

For an update now, Nic Robertson is with us live.

Nic, what's the story at this hour?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Bill. In several cities around the country, gatherings, demonstrations of some hundreds to thousands of people west of here in Peshawar, southwest in the border city of Quetta, south of here, the port city of Karachi, southeast of here, the city of Lahore. All of these cities, including the capital, Islamabad, had demonstrations, and these demonstrations spread out all over the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): This is the image that may have sealed Mulana Fazma Rockman's (ph) fate, a gun-toting henchman riding shotgun with him at the head of a cavalcade in the capital's suburbs. By Rockman's standards, the turnout at the rally Friday, around 20,000, was high. But until now, his frequent anti-government and anti- American demonstrations have been tolerated. His arrest, analysts here say, is a sign the government may have had enough.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: Well, Fazma Rockman again today contacting CNN, and said his house arrest had been extended not only from yesterday, but he has told now he will be under house arrest for the next three months, an indication the government is concerned about the influence that some of these radical Islamic clerics have, and it is these clerics that have been bringing people out on to the streets of Pakistan in these cities. It's the clerics who need the rallies, and in Islamabad, they lead a rally that came outside the American -- United States Information Services office here, and in other cities they have been burning effigies of President Bush.

In Quetta, a cinema, we understand, was set on fire. The cinema owner says he believes his cinema was targeted because he'd been showing an American film. Also cars in that city burned, and in the other cities, confrontations with the police.

President Musharraf today, however, came out in a nationally broadcast press conference to try to explain to the people of Pakistan exactly what was going on with the strikes against Afghanistan. What he said was, was that the attacks are not against the people of Afghanistan, but precisely and specifically aimed at terrorist targets inside Afghanistan. He talked about the need for rebuilding Afghanistan politically following these attacks. He said he hoped the attacks would be short, and he also talked about the necessity of the humanitarian rebuilding, and how difficult it would be for Pakistan to absorb more refugees he said could number up to a million and a half if they flee the fighting in Afghanistan. He said Pakistan really could not absorb that number of refugees. And he called for a serious economic rebuilding of Afghanistan and also political rebuilding. He says Pakistan needs to have friendly neighbors in Afghanistan. And he cautioned against the Northern Alliance trying to take advantage militarily on the ground of any weaknesses they saw developing in the Taliban ranks because of these attacks -- Bill.

HEMMER: All right, Nic. Nic Robertson on the ground in Islamabad. We should point out, again, we have seen some protests, several thousands at certain points. But in a country of 60 million, a bit difficult to put that into broad perspective. Again, police out in force on the streets of not only Islamabad, but various cities in Pakistan. It is something we will track, not only there, but throughout the entire region.

More coming up in a bit. Here is Paula again in New York -- Paula.

ZAHN: Thanks, Bill.

The reaction from governments and capitals outside the Arab world are largely in support of the U.S., British military action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ROBERTSON, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: The NATO ambassadors this morning expressed their full support for the actions of the United States and the United Kingdom, which follow the appalling attacks perpetrated against the United States on the 11th of September, 2001.

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: On behalf, I now, and the great majority of the Australian people, I express very strong support for the action initiated by the Americans and supported by British forces.

VINCENTE FOX, MEXICAN PRESIDENT: The Mexican government has been assured by its authors that this operation is not aimed against civilians, nor any creed, religion, or ideological persuasion. It is to combat the scourge terrorism in all of its forms. The Mexican government firmly supports this action.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ZAHN: Germany, France, Canada and Australia have all pledged military support if needed. And NATO has agreed to dispatch five AWAC radar planes to the United States so Washington can free up its radar planes for use elsewhere.

The U.S.-led strikes against Afghanistan have seemingly won the battle for American public support, at least at these early hours. According to a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll conducted after the first reports of the offensive, nine out of 10 Americans approve of the military action. Only one in 20 disapprove. But some of that support erodes if future military action calls for ground troops -- 77 percent say they would support the use of ground troops; 17 percent would oppose such a deployment.

Now some military perspective on the mission's objectives and challenges. For that, we return to retired Air Force Major General Don Sheppherd in Washington.

Welcome back, sir.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, RET. U.S. AIR FORCE: Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: So Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld describes at least the first phase of this mission as successful. What might the second phase be involved?

I'm sorry, I'm getting something in my ear.

What might the second phase be like once it unfolds?

SHEPPERD: Well, Paula, it's going to be a continuation of the first phase. It's probably a three to five day air campaign basically aimed at the air-defense structure and fixed targets in the beginning. At the same time, we're carrying out that air campaign, we will be reassessing the strikes that we've already done to see if they're successful and retargetting some of that. The whole idea is to take down the air defense system so that we can operate at will and then go against the fielded forces of the Taliban, the vehicles, the tanks and that type of thing.

ZAHN: I know we're going to be getting more information from the Pentagon later this afternoon, but are you aware of how much resistance the coalition got, as they try it make these strikes?

SHEPPERD: Yes, not much. I'll tell you, if can go to the telestrater here and kind of draw you a picture of what we've done and what be coming up, it may be helpful.

ZAHN: Yes, that would be very helpful.

SHEPPERD: I'm going to go the telestrater here. And first of all, with a map of Afghanistan and some of the major cities, I'm going to put some X's along the border. These X's represent, if you will, the early morning radars that the Taliban will use to see from what direction our airplanes are coming. I'm going to erase those now, because we try to take them out in the early strikes. In addition, I'm going to use some stars to put representative locations of various airports. Those airports would contain some of the MiG fighter aircraft owned by the Taliban, and then next to those airports, I'm going to put some circles that would represent surface-to-air-missile sites.

The initial strikes were designed to take out those early warning radars that I took off the screen, and then to attack these airports, and specifically the airplanes that are in shelters and on the ground. And if we find out where they are, we will hit them. But sometimes, they will be camouflaged, there will be structures. There will be mocks put around there to fool us, and what have you. We, in that case, we may bomb the runway to keep them from taking off. You don't want to do too much damage, because we have ways to take out airfields for minutes, weeks, days and even years. We want to be careful, in case you want to use it later.

The idea is to put all of this down. And once we put that down, I will go ahead and erase it and do some drawing here, then the Northern Alliance forces, which were in the northeastern area of the country, after we put down these forces and start against the fielded force of the Taliban, we are hoping that the Northern Alliance can move toward other cities and perhaps take back Kabul, and even eventually Kandahar. That's the hole idea of the campaign -- Paula.

ZAHN: Yes, it's interesting you should talk about the Northern Alliance, because Pakistani President Musharraf said earlier today, the Northern Alliance should not take advantage of these airstrikes. What's he thinking?

SHEPPERD: Well, I'm be sure what he is thinking. But clearly, in our estimation, the right thing to do is to put pressure on the Taliban, to take away their war-fighting capability, so that the Northern alliance can do its work, and so the Afghan people can take back Afghanistan and some type of coalition government. Clearly, that's what we are after, Paula.

ZAHN: Does it surprise you to hear that talk from the Pakistani president?

SHEPPERD: Nothing in this campaign from anywhere surprises me. This is a worldwide campaign, with political overtones in all of the countries, that their own administrations and their own leaders have to handle. This is not surprising. It'll be a long campaign, with many ups and downs, gives and take. This is different than anything we have seen before. It's not bombs and bullets; it's bombs, and bullets, food, politics all mixed together. This is very, very strange for the American public, and it's going to take a lot of patience, Paula.

ZAHN: General Shepherd, you made another point about wanting to take out the MiG fighters that the Taliban has, and then maybe destroy some of runways. What are the chances that the coalition forces will need some of these runways?

SHEPPERD: Well, there is a big difference in this campaign from what we saw in Kosovo. general Wes Clark in Kosovo had his hands tied. We announced ahead of time that we were not going to use ground troops in the United States. This time, people are guessing whether we are going to use them. It's been clear that we've deployed up to a thousand of them so far. It has been announced from the 10th mountain division into Uzbekistan. More may follow, and they may or may not be used. The Taliban and others have to guess. But this time, the threat is there to use ground troops if necessary, and that's a lot different than Kosovo.

ZAHN: All right, Jim Shepperd, as always, thank for your insights. Appreciate it.

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