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CNN Saturday Morning News
U.S. Marines Establish Base Near Kandahar
Aired December 01, 2001 - 07:01 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: It is mission accomplished for a unit of U.S. Marines that were sent to establish a base near the Taliban's final stronghold in Afghanistan. Officials say the 15th Marine Expeditionary Force is now ready for its next orders.
The battalion-sized unit is said to be within striking distance of Kandahar, but its exact location being kept secret. One spokesman said when the Marines get their new orders, they will carry them out with a vengeance.
For the latest on the military strategy in Afghanistan, we go now to CNN's Jonathan Aiken, who is at the Pentagon.
Good morning to you, Jonathan.
JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Marty.
A U.S. official is quick to deny claims coming from the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan that a U.S. jet was shot down during U.S. air activity over Kandahar Saturday morning. And we have a map to show you just where Kandahar is in relation to things in Afghanistan. We can show that to you.
There you can see the Kandahar located south and west of Kabul. It is an area that is still -- that was the Taliban stronghold. The city still is a stronghold for the Taliban, though much of the surrounding region is up for dispute, either between the Taliban or local Pashtun leaders.
Now, as for this claim from the Taliban lead -- the former Taliban ambassador, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef had told CNN and some news agencies that the jet was shot down during bombardment at the Kandahar airport. U.S. officials quick to deny that. A U.S. official in Islamabad, speaking for the coalition, said the report wasn't true, and the central command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where this operation is headquartered, telling CNN a short time ago, all U.S. planes did return safely from their mission.
So the U.S. shooting down the report that a U.S. plane, in fact, was shot down.
Now, Marty, as you alluded to earlier, a battalion, 1,200 U.S. Marines, dug in around Kandahar at a remote desert air strip. We're told it's about 70 miles southwest of the city, though the exact location not being revealed for security purposes. They're awaiting orders, as you mentioned. They are dug in and ready to move.
The purpose of this base is to bring a greater amount of firepower in closer proximity to the city itself should it be needed. There is no intent to establish any permanent base of operations. The same U.S. official who said those orders would be carried out with a vengeance when they came also said that once those orders are carried out, Marty, they will be happy to get out of Afghanistan -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: Question for you, Jonathan. Those Marines, any indication they could head into Kandahar? In other words, are they trained in urban warfare, that particular unit?
AIKEN: They are trained. They are ready to go. Whether it's going to be door-to-door combat, there are other units that are equipped for that. But these Marines are ready not only for firepower but also to be on the move on the ground should that become necessary.
And the U.S., of course, has been reluctant to put ground forces in that segment of the operation, much preferring to leave that in the hands of local militia and allies who know the terrain better, are able to move around better, and raise less in the way of complaints from the local population -- Marty.
SAVIDGE: Stepping away from Afghanistan, a big missile test coming up, is that right?
AIKEN: That's right. There's going to be a fifth test, an intercept test, of the missile defense shield. That's coming up at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. It's going to be a dummy warhead launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, and an interceptor will be launched about 20 minutes later. The hope is that the two of them will meet in exactly the same place at exactly the same time somewhere midway over the Pacific test range. That should happen probably sometime between 9:00 and 1:00 a.m. Eastern time this morning.
SAVIDGE: All right, Jonathan...
AIKEN: Or rather, yes, Saturday night, Sunday morning, I'm sorry, Marty.
SAVIDGE: Thanks, Jonathan.
AIKEN: You bet.
SAVIDGE: Jonathan Aiken, reporting live from the Pentagon.
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