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CNN Live Today

U.S. Military Continuing to Focus Attention on Tora Bora Area

Aired December 19, 2001 - 10:08   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: Now the latest on the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

CNN's Jonathan Aiken's at the Pentagon. He joins us now. He's got more on the search under way right now.

Jon, good morning.

JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

Still no sign of Osama bin Laden, yet the U.S. military continuing to focus its attention on the Tora Bora area, and in particular now the valleys heading to the east that lead into the escape routes into Pakistan.

We have a map that we can show that kind of giving you an idea of where we are talking about. As we zoom in on the more specific picture. Tora Bora, as you see there, right at that knob where Pakistan meets Afghanistan, part of a 1,300-mile long border, and a porous and rugged one it is. It's a terrain that helps fighters who are on the run with lots of places to hide. And also, it's proximity to Pakistan has always made it easy for these Al Qaeda fighters an supporters to go back and forth. They are using mountain passes traditionally used, but they are also using smugglers trails, with caves, such as the ones with these, with munitions, that were spotted over the last couple of days. These caves are located along these remote trails that often wind into Pakistan and areas that aren't near any of the 300 border checkpoints that have been set up by the Pakistani government.

In addition, the Pakistani military has sent off about 4,000 troops and commandos along the border, hoping to seal off portions of the area. But it's an area that really hasn't seen much a Pakistan military presence over the years.

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