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CNN Live Today

Canadians Help Check Afghan Caves

Aired March 14, 2002 - 11:13   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A thousand American GIs are searching the Eastern hills of Afghanistan for al Qaeda fighters today. The U.S. and its Afghan allies seized the strategic Shah-e-Kot Valley on Wednesday. Military officials insist the war in Afghanistan is not over, even though Operation Anaconda may be in its final phase.

U.S. authorities concede they have seen little hostile movement in the last 24 hours there. Commanders say no big al Qaeda leaders were killed in the 12 day campaign, but they say second and third tier figures did lose their lives. Now, let's go to the nerve center of the U.S. military operations. For that, we go to our own Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr -- good morning, Barbara Starr.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Well, the Pentagon says about 1,500 U.S. and coalition fighters remain on the ground in Eastern Afghanistan, still working Operation Anaconda, and the U.S. military commander on the ground in Afghanistan says he is advising the al Qaeda to sleep with one eye open, because the U.S. is going to hunt them down. Major General Hagenbeck, the U.S. commander, says the military never really expected to get Osama bin Laden or Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader, in this particular part of the campaign, but he hinted that the U.S. just might be closing in on them.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. HAGENBECK, COMMANDER, OPERATION ANACONDA: We do know that we killed some second and third tier level al Qaeda leadership. We've gotten that information from some of the detainees that we picked up. The big names that you and I are more familiar, however, indications are that they were not in this valley. As we came here, we did not have indications prior to the attack that they would be here, but we have indications where they are, and I can assure you, that we will track them down and get them before this is over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And, in fact, CNN has learned that U.S. intelligence is focusing some attention on this one border crossing area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is an area due east of Kandahar. There are a number of caves in the region, and it is described as one, just one, potential escape route. You can see that area here. This is said to be a valley area that runs into Pakistan along a mountain range, very difficult for the U.S. to approach without being seen.

Still, no one knows where bin Laden really is. As recently as a few weeks ago, some elements of U.S. intelligence believed he might have slipped into Pakistan, but all sources we have spoken to still say, multiple locations are being watched, and there is no real indication of where he is at the moment.

Back on Operation Anaconda, Canadian military forces are now on the ground there with the U.S. military, and they are working to search caves in the region, and gather further intelligence -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And Barbara, I imagine then the Canadian troops are helping the U.S. and allied troops, kind of really hunt for what are being dubbed the "deadenders" in some of those pocket areas?

STARR: That's right. They do believe there still may be some al Qaeda up in those mountains. They call them "deadenders" because they believe these people really truly are going to fight to the death, no indication of surrender. There may still be some people up in those mountains, they believe. They are also still watching escape routes to make sure those people, if they are still up there, aren't escaping further south or east into Pakistan.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much. Barbara Starr from the Pentagon, keeping a watch on things for us. Thanks very much.

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