Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
War on Terror Heats Up
Aired May 03, 2002 - 14:09 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: The war on terror, heating up in Afghanistan. United States and allied forces resumed the search for al Qaeda forces today, and this time British forces are out in front leading that cave by cave operation right along that Pakistani border.
Whether or not they're having success is another question. Barbara Starr following that and more, now, from the Pentagon again. Barbara, good afternoon.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon, Bill.
Well, success is awfully hard to determine at the moment. Indeed, nearly 1,000 coalition forces, largely led by the British, are now sweeping through southeastern Afghanistan as part of Operation Mountain Lion.
They are on the hunt for al Qaeda. They are searching through caves, hideouts, looking for any evidence of al Qaeda troops or movement. They are going through caves, they are finding documents, weapons stockpiles, some intelligence, some signs that the al Qaeda were there. But there's just one problem -- they aren't finding any al Qaeda.
So far, there have been no encounters with enemy forces.
So the question is beginning to be asked, where exactly are all these al Qaeda fighters that everyone says had fled. Sect. of Def. Donald Rumsfeld said just the other day that there are nontrivial numbers of al Qaeda still in the region.
Well, there is a growing belief, of course, that many of them have fled across the border into Pakistan now.
It appears the strategy of this phase of Operation Mountain Lion is to sweep through the region, see what they find, drive any al Qaeda forces that they might find further south into Afghanistan, where they don't have as much support from local tribal warlords. Drive them across the border, into Pakistan, possibly understanding they may go there, and then make a decision about the next phase. And that would be whether or not to chase them down inside Pakistan -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, there is movement, also, in another area, remembering the victims of September 11th at the Pentagon. What is happening there? STARR: Absolutely. We have learned that tomorrow, Saturday, there will be a very somber, very private ceremony, here inside the Pentagon, just upstairs from where we are.
The first memorial to the victims of 9/11 at one of the attack sites will be unveiled. The families of the 125 people who perished inside this building will be brought here tomorrow, and they will see an inside the Pentagon memorial to their family members.
This ceremony will absolutely be closed to the public. This building of course is generally closed to the public. There will be no one but the families there.
We are told on Monday the news media will then be allowed to see this memorial, but the families want absolutely no coverage, tomorrow, Saturday, when they are here inside the building.
The memorial is described as being very somber. It is essentially a brass plaque that lists the names of the victims who perished inside this building. It is located near the Chief of Chaplains office here in the Pentagon and the rest of us will see it on Monday.
But it is the first memorial that we know of at any attack site to the victims of 9/11.
HEMMER: Privacy is a thing that is very well understood in cases like this.
By the way, are they going to make the construction date to rebuild essentially within a year's time?
STARR: Well, that's the piece of good news about 9/11, if there is any.
The construction workers are absolutely adamant, they are just bound and determined to get this building back into full shape by the one year anniversary.
When you drive by this building, everyday when you come here, you see the construction workers. They work around the clock, all week long, and we're told they're about four months ahead of schedule right now. The hammers are swinging out there, and they have every hope of making the deadline.
HEMMER: My money is on them Barbara, I'll tell you.
Thank you much, Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon.
STARR: You're welcome.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
