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CNN Live Today

General Franks Says Afghanistan Still Dangerous

Aired April 05, 2002 - 13:35   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's head over to Barbara Starr. She has been covering lots of different topics out of the Pentagon today. Barbara, you are watching and questioning General Tommy Franks down at Central Command about different developments over in Afghanistan. I didn't hear any major headlines out of there, but you have got a better ear on these things than I do.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not a big headline today, but lots of clean-up details, Carol. The general said there is another indication of just how unsettled and how dangerous a place Afghanistan can be. He confirmed to reporters that Taliban and al Qaeda supporters are now circulating leaflets throughout some parts of Afghanistan, offering $50,000 reward for a dead American soldier and $100,000 reward for a live soldier.

Here is what General Franks had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. TOMMY FRANKS, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: As we all recognize, there are groups of enemy troops still in that country, and that's why I think we have all been a little reluctant to predict how long our operations to kill or capture those enemy troops are going to go on.

So concern about the leaflets -- awareness is probably a better word. We are going to pay attention to what we are doing in there, but we are also going to remember that Afghanistan is a dangerous place for us to be operating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, for the record, general -- for the record, General Franks refused to discuss any upcoming military operations, but in his words, he did say there would be "dangerous business" in the days ahead.

U.S. and coalition troops are now very quietly continuing to gather intelligence and information about Taliban and al Qaeda operations throughout Afghanistan. They are looking for groups of reassembling al Qaeda and Taliban. There is no hints that there is another operation on the way as large as that Operation Anaconda, but there are lots of hints around the Pentagon and other places that smaller operations may be coming in the weeks ahead, in the days ahead, in fact, as they find some of these smaller pockets.

And perhaps the most interesting thing that General Franks had to say is he doesn't know where Abu Zubaydah is either. This is the general who is leading the war in Afghanistan, and he has no idea, he tells us, where this top al Qaeda commander is being held by the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement communities. And he said he has not been briefed yet on what the law enforcement and intelligence communities have learned from Abu Zubaydah. So he's waiting to hear along with everybody else -- Carol.

LIN: All right. An honest man indeed. Thanks so much, Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon. Always good to see you.

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