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CNN Live At Daybreak
Drone Sees Execution of SEAL in Afghanistan
Aired March 06, 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: U.S.-led ground forces are pressing ahead in their operation to rid the eastern Afghan mountain region of Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.
CNN's Martin Savidge is the only reporter going along on the offensive. Here's his exclusive report from the front lines.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Operation Anaconda was at least a month in the planning. Three battalions of over 1,700 soldiers including the 10th Mountain Division, the 101st Airborne, coalition and Afghan forces would launch a surprise attack in the area of the town in eastern Afghanistan known as Sheer Konkill (ph).
Intelligence sources said it contained a large pocket of hard- core al Qaeda and Taliban fighters numbering 150 to 200. But the plan ran into problems even before it lifted off. Bad weather at the ejected site forced a two-day delay. The first U.S. forces on the ground found that time wasn't the only thing lost. So was the advantage of surprise.
At a number of landing zones enemy forces were already waiting, heavily armed and anxious to attack. For two days we tried to go in with a second wave of reinforcements, both times turned back when the landing area was receiving too much fire. Finally on a third try, we made it in with a reserved battalion armed with heavy weapons and a will for revenge.
The first part of the mission, to seek out and destroy al Qaeda caves and operation centers high in the mountains above 10,000 feet. Elevation, cold, and the constant threat of attack was a triple burden for U.S. soldiers. After the caves we pushed south to the main objective, the village of Sheer Konkill. Barely had U.S. forces got in position when Taliban forces attacked at dusk -- automatic weapons fire and mortars.
U.S. soldiers responded back with heavy suppression fire and mortars of their own. Then came the close air support, as for two days wave after wave the fighter bombers, B-52s and Apache helicopters pounded the surrounding valley around the clock. More reinforcements arrive and began dislodging the Taliban and al Qaeda forces.
The original mission was to last 72 hours. Some thought it might only take 24 hours. Instead now the operation has gone on for four days, as it's clear the Taliban and al Qaeda forces with no place to run, also have no plans to surrender.
Martin Savidge, CNN, Sheer Konkill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Amid concerns of possible mounting casualties in the latest Afghan fighting, there's more information on the latest Americans who die in action, here's CNN national correspondent David Ensor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chilling details are now emerging on how eight Americans died. Sources say Navy SEAL Neil Roberts fell off a Chinook helicopter as it rose, was captured, and commanders watched in agony from a predator drone camera overhead as he was executed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your guns down.
ENSOR: Another six casualties occurred after a Chinook helicopter was damaged and crash-landed forcing the men to fight under withering enemy fire for 12 to 14 hours.
BRIG.GEN. JOHN ROSA, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: It was sometime thereafter that we initiated a rescue operation and extracted, took out, all the folks on the ground there.
ENSOR: Reinforcements are on the way to aid the roughly 2,000 U.S. and allied forces assaulting entrenched al Qaeda and Taliban forces U.S. officials say. At least five Marine Cobra gunships and two large troop-carrying MH-53 helicopters have been sent from aboard ships in the North Arabian Sea with officials saying all the Apache helicopters flying air support in the first day of the battle were damaged.
These pictures, the first of Operation Anaconda, released by the Pentagon show American troops, soldiers of the Army's 101st Airborne Division moving upwards into positions around the enemy. As they searched a compound on the way up into the mountains, they came under fire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where's that fire coming from?
ENSOR: The reinforcements come as U.S. officials revise upwards their estimates of how many enemy they have surrounded in the high mountain area near Gardez. Despite punishing bombing by U.S. and allied aircraft, officials now say with perhaps 200 enemy dead, there still could be as many as five to 600 left. Officials are saying the fight could take over a week to finish.
ROSA: This is like fighting in the middle of the Rocky Mountains in the wintertime. It's tough. We have members of the 101st and members of the 10th Mountain. They're trained in cold weather and they're doing a fantastic job.
ENSOR: U.S. officials are saying once this pocket of resistance is defeated, there are others around Afghanistan, although this is the largest. All of them are likely to require dangerous groundwork by U.S. troops with most of the remainder enemy apparently willing to fight to the death.
David Ensor, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PHILLIPS: Of the seven U.S. servicemen killed in Operation Anaconda, the youngest was 21 years old, the oldest was 36. They came from such places as Brandon, Florida; Boulder City, Nevada; and Joplin, Missouri. A multi service Honor Guard met the seven caskets at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. They were then sent to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where they arrived early in this morning.
At Dover the remains will be prepared for their return to the families. The seven men died Monday in two separate incidents involving MH-47 Chinook helicopters. The dead have been identified as Sgt. Bradley Crose, Sgt. Philip Svitak, Specialist Marc Anderson, and Private First Class Matthew Commons, all from the Army. Also Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Neil Roberts and from the Air Force Tech Sgt. John Chapman and Senior Airman Jason Cunningham.
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