Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Saturday

Stray Bomb Causes Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan

Aired October 13, 2001 - 15:00   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The continuing airstrikes in Afghanistan and the issue of civilian casualties are raising some tensions in neighboring Pakistan. Let's go there now live.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us; she is in Islamabad -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Leon, you know that report from the Pentagon of a missile strike, bomb strike that went astray. We can now show you the pictures that we have been running all afternoon, but now are confirmed are the aftermath of that missile -- bomb strike that went astray.

What we have shown is the rubble from that area just around the airport in Kabul. You can see people standing around what looks like some collapsed buildings. You can definitely see that there was some kind of strike on that little residential neighborhood.

We're told that there may be up to one to four people killed, and maybe eight people injured. There were scenes shown from the hospital in Kabul, and that showed several people injured, including a small boy who had his head wrapped in a bandage and was told by the doctor that he would be in a coma about this time.

Also we understand that people are obviously very scared, and they have been fleeing, saying that this is getting a little bit scary. They have been concerned about a couple of reports of bombs that have gone astray. You remember at the beginning of this campaign there was a bomb that hit a U.N. compound and four of the local de- mining workers were killed. That was confirmed by the United Nations.

So people rather rattled, although very fortunately, it appears, if that is the toll of injuries and deaths from this Navy jet bomb that went astray, it is fortunately fairly low.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We lost everything; house and properties.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We are going because U.S. planes are coming destroying our houses and country. They are the enemy of Islam and mankind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: We have also been talking to sources inside Kandahar who reported that about an hour and half ago there was a second nighttime wave of airstrikes around Kandahar. They reported that an Army headquarters in the middle of town had been struck, although they said that had been previously evacuated. And they say targets around the outskirts of the city were also struck.

On one other note from here in Pakistan, intelligence and other sources have toll CNN that nine U.S. investigators are coming to Pakistan Sunday morning, tomorrow morning, to, we're told, follow up leads and investigate potential information that was concerning the September 11 attack on the United States -- Leon.

HARRIS: Christiane, I'm not sure if you heard -- moments ago we were reading a statement that we received from the Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar. And I want to know whether you have seen or heard any reaction at all to the comments that he has been making there.

AMANPOUR: No. You know, it's very late here, and there is no reaction to that at all. That statement was faxed to CNN and to other news organizations as well. And he, you know, this is not that uncommon. It's kind of uncommon to have it directly faxed, but they have made statements either by written fax statements or on tape or on the radio, as we've seen over the last week or so.

HARRIS: All right, then, let me ask you, then, about the refugee situation. Let's turn to that particular angle now, to these people that you were just reporting on moments ago all saying that they're going to be leaving now. Those are some numbers that will be added to those that we've seen streaming out. What is the latest on that situation? Has this crisis that the U.N. had been warning about -- has that been averted or what?

AMANPOUR: Well, it is very hard to tell. Since we don't have a good look inside Afghanistan, it's hard to tell where these people are going. They may be going to rural areas. They may try to go out of the towns and urban areas. But because they know and they've been told that the borders of Pakistan and Iran, which neighbor Afghanistan, have been shut, there has not been a huge buildup of people on those borders.

So it's -- the U.N., even, is not quite sure where these people are fleeing to, although there are, you know, trickles that are trying to come across the borders here.

HARRIS: Christiane Amanpour, you've been keeping some incredible hours there, and I do understand it is very late there in Islamabad, Pakistan. Thank you very much for hanging in there and being a trooper. Get some rest and take care of yourself.

Let's go now to John King standing by in New York -- in Washington, rather -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Leon, thank you for that.

This errant strike obviously raises new questions for the Pentagon on day seven of the air campaign against targets in Afghanistan.

For the latest we turn to Kathleen Koch, standing by inside the Pentagon -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, this is exactly the sort of incident that, since the beginning of this campaign, the Pentagon has done its very best to avoid. And what we are told that happened was that a Navy F-18 Hornet was flying over Kabul, over the airport, and spotted a military helicopter, and at that point fired on it.

However, what the Pentagon says occurred then was that there was a targeting processor error in the joint direct attack munition that was fired, or JSAM, causing this munition to veer about a mile off course and hit a residential area. Now, the pentagon is investigating this. They also say that they cannot confirm how many fatalities, how many injuries may have occurred in that neighborhood.

Just a few days ago the defense secretary himself expressed his own concern about the threat to civilians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There is no question but that when one is engaged militarily that there are going to be unintended loss of life. It has always been the case, it certainly will be the case in this instance. And there's no question but that I and anyone involved regrets the unintended loss of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: The munition that was used in this case has a history of being very precise. It was first used in 1999 in the NATO bombing campaign over Yugoslavia. And it is called the JDAM. It's guided by some 14 to 17 global positioning satellites as well as inertial navigation systems in its tail.

And what the JDAM does is it converts existing free-falling bombs, essentially, into smart weapons that, at least, in their developmental stage, John, had achieved a high accuracy level of about 95 percent.

KING: And Kathleen, we saw the president and the secretary of defense at a memorial service two days ago for those killed in the Pentagon. I understand more honors today for one of the victims?

KOCH: Yes John, something that is very unusual: A B-52 bomber -- right now, as we speak, at this very hour -- is set to be flying low and slow first over the Potomac River, then over the Pentagon, and then over Arlington National Cemetery before heading west to its base at -- Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.

And its part of the funeral for retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert Hymel, who was killed when the hijacked aircraft hit the Pentagon September 11. Now, Lieutenant Colonel Hymel himself had been a B-52 pilot during the Vietnam War. He was shot down in 1972 over Hanoi, and survived that, earning the purple heart; only, of course, to die here on September 11 -- John.

KING: Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon, thank you very much for that.

The president is up at Camp David. He divided his time today between keeping apprised of events in Afghanistan and preparing for a trip next week to China. Mr. Bush participated in a video conference with his national security team with him -- and you see them there, the CIA Director George Tenet, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and just out of the picture the White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card.

After, he met with Rice in preparation for his departure next week to China, where he is to attended the Asia Pacific Economic Summit. Important bilateral meetings there with the president of China and the president of Russia, among other Asian leaders he may call on in the very near future as the war on terrorism expands.

Here at home the president delivering his weekly radio address, understanding Americans all across the country likely a bit jitterish (sic) about the reports of anthrax scares in Florida and in New York as well. Mr. Bush trying to reassure the American people the government is doing all it can.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I understand that may Americans are feeling easy; but all Americans should be assured we are taking strong precautions. We are vigilant. We are determined. The country is alert, and the great power of the American nation will be felt.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

KING: We also know the administration is preparing a new spending request to the Congress. An emergency request for new money to help pay for the war on terrorism. Sources telling CNN late last night that will be a multi-billion dollar request. And in it, several billion dollars, we are told, to improve the country's defenses against bioterrorism -- Leon.

HARRIS: All right John.

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