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CNN Live At Daybreak

Troops in Afghanistan Dine on Steak for Fourth

Aired July 04, 2002 - 06:04   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Security is always an issue for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But like Americans back home, they're finding ways to celebrate the Fourth anyway.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us live from Bagram Air Base with that story -- good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, it's business as usual at this base, but it is business as usual and fun for some. Basketball, they've been playing that today here as part of their holiday celebrations, playing it right by the flight line. Just yards from where they're playing, A-10 tank busting Wart Hog aircraft are being loaded and fitted up. It's almost as if you have a holiday going on and yet the work is still going on right behind those able to relax and enjoy it.

We're told there won't be any fireworks here this year because of the security concerns, and they don't want people to get confused on the base between real life fire and fireworks. There's a barbecue going on here, really big T-bone steaks replacing the normal pre- prepared lunchtime ration packs that people have here. And it does have a holiday feel here. If we look around us here, there are a lot of flags around us, a lot of people putting up the stars and stripes and a lot of people really just trying to relax, get a change in their routine, do something different.

Soccer matches going on, horseshoe throwing competitions -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Have military operations ceased for the day or are they still going on, too?

ROBERTSON: Absolutely not. This is a base of some 7,000 people, soldiers and air crews. We can hear the aircraft revving up behind us, helicopters flying throughout the day. A lot of business gets done here at night. But it's still a very, very busy base. There's a lot of repair work, if you will, going on, a lot of foundations being put in for future expansions of this base, a lot of other operations going on. We're not privy to the details of those operations, but there's, there is still the buzz of activity about the base here.

And, as well, on this day many of the British Royal Marine commandos who have been based here are now beginning to move out. So a lot going on. A lot of activity here still today -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So, will you get to share a T-bone steak with some of the soldiers?

ROBERTSON: If we stand in line and, as I said, they're a very popular item today. That's a long line. If you want to stand there, union can get a big T-bone steak, yes.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, I'll say good luck to you then, Nic.

Thank you very much.

Nic Robertson reporting live for us from the Bagram Air Base.

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