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CNN Live Today

Al Qaeda Pursuit Continues, Even After Anaconda

Aired March 19, 2002 - 12:11   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Operation Anaconda, you know, is over now, but U.S. officials say the pursuit of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters will continue in Afghanistan. They say senior enemy leaders do not appear to have died in the offensive that ended yesterday, officially speaking, anyway.

Barbara Starr now, more on the Pentagon this afternoon with us. Barbara, good afternoon.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill. Well, Operation Anaconda ended with U.S. and coalition forces getting on their helicopters, leaving the Shah-e-kot valley, where the mission that was supposed to only last 72 hours wound up going on for more than two weeks. Still, mission commanders say the entire operation was a success, but they warn that the al Qaeda still has plenty of punch.

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MAJ. GEN. F.L. HAGENBECK, SPOKESMAN, U.S. ARMY: This is a very -- extremely determined and well trained enemy. As I said before, this is not a pickup team. These enemy forces that we have detained or that we killed, are not lacking for money. They are outfitted in equipment that is as good or better than any of us that the coalition have. They have got high-tech means, as I mentioned, in which to communicate. So, we did not take them lightly going into this fight, nor will we in the future.

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STARR: The Pentagon now estimates that the entire campaign wound up in about 500 enemy forces being killed, but perhaps as many as 200 al Qaeda escaped, and there is ongoing reconnaissance in several areas of Afghanistan where officials are concerned the al Qaeda may already be regrouping. New military action will be launched against any pockets of al Qaeda that can be located, officials say, and there is a lot of concern about the continuing ability of the al Qaeda to communicate amongst themselves inside Afghanistan, and with al Qaeda elements outside of the country. And not everything in Operation Anaconda worked perfectly.

We have now learned that that the new thermobaric bomb, which the U.S. dropped from an F-15 in the opening hours of the campaign, missed its target. It was supposed to land inside a cave and destroy many al Qaeda troops that were believed to be inside the cave, but we have now learned that it did completely miss its target.

And finally, a follow-up on a raid that occurred this past Sunday. U.S. forces staged a raid against a complex west of Kandahar. They destroyed a large amount of munitions and seized 31 people, but we are now told they determined none of those people are Taliban or al Qaeda, all 31 are expected to be released -- Bill.

HEMMER: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you,

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