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American Morning

Pentagon To Announce Trial Format Tomorrow; U.S. Base Under Fire

Aired March 20, 2002 - 09:03   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: "Up Front" this morning: we are just now getting word that tomorrow the Pentagon will unveil the procedures for how the over 500 al Qaeda and Taliban detainees held in both Afghanistan and Cuba will be tried. According to advance word from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the planned military tribunals will be unlike anything the public has ever seen before.

CNN's Barbara Starr joins us with the details now live from the Pentagon -- good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jack.

Well, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to unveil these procedures for how al Qaeda and Taliban detainees will face trial. He is expected to unveil them tomorrow morning. And he's already warning, in fact, that he does expect a lot of controversy because he says these trials will be not like anything the public has seen before.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: The reason they're different is because of the -- the differences in the kinds of people that will be tried, and the needs for -- security and protection for the people involved, whether the panel members or witnesses, counsel, and so forth.

As you may know from the World Trade Center trial some years ago, I understand that some of those people are still being -- needing security today, and so we are going to be handling this in a way that's different, although it, too, will produce a just outcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But we do know some details. Now, the Pentagon only expects to really have a handful of trials. It wants to have as few as possible, just for the most critical detainees. Others may be returned to their home countries to face prosecution. The Pentagon also says it is committed to keeping these trials as open as possible, but television cameras will not be allowed. Sessions will be closed when classified information is being discussed.

Some elements will be familiar to the public. The accused will be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and we are told there will have to be a unanimous jury verdict for a death penalty. President Bush will be allowed -- of course, he will be allowed, and will have a decision to make about reviewing any convictions, death penalty, or any jail sentences that may be imposed.

But everyone agrees these trials will be unique, something the public hasn't seen before. Of course, some very unusual aspects: how will the defense attorneys gather evidence to help their clients? Jack.

CAFFERTY: Barbara, what do we know about security for these, and what that might be like?

STARR: Well, everyone tells us that these will be a security nightmare, in the words of one senior Pentagon official. These trials are going to be held outside the United States because of security concerns. Guantanamo Bay is one likely location. They also could be held aboard military vessels, if that is considered a more secure place.

CAFFERTY: All right, appreciate it very much. Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon for us this morning -- Fredricka.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And in Afghanistan, an American soldier was wounded overnight fighting, when coalition forces came under fire in the eastern town of Khowst. The attack came just shortly after American troops began pulling out of the Shah-e-Kot Valley, where Operation Anaconda had just concluded. CNN's Walter Rodgers joins us now from Kabul.

Good morning, Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka. What happened at about midnight last night was that an undetermined number of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters started to probe -- commenced an attack on the U.S. allied base at Khowst. There's a small base there along the airfield. These are the very same tactics that the mujahideen used against the Russians there.

The Taliban and the al Qaeda fighters fired rocket-propelled grenades at the U.S. base. They also fired small arms and mortars. Only one U.S. soldier was injured in the fire fight which lasted about an hour. A member of the 101st Airborne paratroopers did take a bullet in the arm. A spokesperson for the U.S. Army said it was a non-threatening wound. Of course, the U.S. fighters began pushing back these Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.

In this fire fight, they called in an AC-130 gunship which poured down more fire on the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters. Again, no U.S. casualties except for one soldier wounded in the arm. A U.S. Army spokesperson said they believe that the Taliban, however, did indeed take casualties. That couldn't be determined immediately because the Army had to send out a patrol, that took time, and we haven't heard the report back in from that patrol -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much. Walter Rogers from Kabul this morning.

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