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CNN Live At Daybreak

Afghan War Enters Dangerous Phase

Aired March 05, 2002 - 06:01   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: As the U.S. enters a dangerous phase of the Afghan war, the highest American combat death toll is being reported. CNN's Brian Palmer is near Bagram, Afghanistan or Bagram Air Base, rather, in Afghanistan with the latest -- Brian.

Go ahead Brian.

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Kyra, sorry for that interruption. We just got -- I'm talking right now -- we were just diverted by some air activity. I apologize for that delay.

We are at the Bagram Air Base. Right over my shoulder is where the runway is. There has been some air activity today. As you can see, we're also on an active road. There are demining vehicles. There are military vehicles, so it gets a little busy out here. We heard from the Afghan Defense Ministry today that bombing has intensified in Zermont (ph) and in the Shahi Kot district.

As you may recall, Shahi Kot is where this operation began five days ago with those B-52s striking those al Qaeda and Taliban pockets. You see my cameraman panning away to track some of these helicopters in the sky. Now Bagram Air Base, which used to be a Soviet Air Base, is now being used, at least in some parts, to support this operation in Paktia province.

Now, as I said, the Defense Ministry is telling us that the bombing has intensified in Zermont (ph) and in Shahi Kot, and that fighting in Khowst, which is a neighboring area, does indeed continue. Now we talked to the Intelligence Ministry, which is a separate ministry. What they say is their sources on the ground are saying that the fighting in Khowst, that the al Qaeda-Taliban attack in Khowst is actually a diversion for a more major operation in Gardez or the Gardez area.

This is what their sources are saying. They're saying that there are about 400 dug-in al Qaeda-Taliban fighters and possibly some locally recruited fighters who sympathize with the Taliban cause. But again, the Intelligence Ministry saying that these people are completely surrounded by the bombing and the U.S. and coalition and Afghan operation.

So we are trying to confirm those reports. We have those Afghan government sources, but we are trying to get some feedback from the U.S. military. We're also hoping to get onto Bagram Air Base in a couple of hours so that we can see first hand what's going on there -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Brian, this is the first time we've seen live pictures like this actually, with these helicopters in the air. I don't know if your photographer can still stay focused on them or not, maybe -- does it look like they are taking off, possibly on a mission, or are they coming in to land on the air strip? Is that right behind you? Do you know?

PALMER: Kyra, that is indeed correct. We're not sure the mission part, and we're going to pull away so you can see again. The military doesn't tell us about their comings and goings, but from a direction that they were coming, we do know that they were hugging the mountains and coming in to land at Bagram.

We've seen Chinooks. The MH-47 helicopter, which is the same variety of helicopter that was shot down just a couple of days ago. We've seen -- we've seen Russian helicopters. We have seen Black Hawk helicopters. I've been told that they're also some Pave Low helicopters as well.

So, a very, very active base. Things seem to pick up in the afternoon here. I don't think I'm betraying any military secrets. This is a -- this is a public road. This is a public area. So we're just keeping our eyes open, trying to see what is happening, and now you will be seeing that helicopter will be touching down at the air base. Behind the helicopter are the Salang Mountains, one of the very forbidding ranges in this area.

We are actually in a valley. There's three different mountain ranges here, and it's apparently a very, very strategic location, was a very strategic location during the Civil War. This is what our Afghan sources tell us -- very, very, very strategic area, which is precisely why the Soviets established their air base here and why the Americans have reestablished or have set up their presence here as well -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Great pictures. Brian Palmer right near Bagram Air Base there as military possibly coming in from completing a mission for the day. Brian Palmer, thank you so much. We'll check in with you again later on.

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