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CNN Live Today

Rumsfeld Wants Tougher Approach to al Qaeda

Aired August 02, 2002 - 12:17   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN has learned Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has quietly ordered a major shift in the war against terror. Sources say the goal is a more flexible and creative approach to the pursuit of al Qaeda leaders.

CNN's Barbara Starr joins us now live from the Pentagon with those details, and Barbara, you mentioned that yesterday, you used that word "creative plan."

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Kyra. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is really pushing the military on a number of fronts. He keeps talking about the fact that he wants to see creative, more innovative thinking on their part in how to approach the war on terrorism. And in the latest development, Rumsfeld sent a classified memo to the U.S. Special Operations Command asking them for innovative ways to capture and/or kill top al Qaeda leaders.

What Rumsfeld has done is laid the ground work for special operations now for the first time to be in direct operational control of clandestine missions that they will go on to hunt down the very top levels of the al Qaeda leadership.

Rumsfeld is said to be very unhappy with the progress that has been made so far in going after these very top leaders. He has said he feels that some of the military has lost a sense of urgency on this and so he simply is putting the stick to the process a little bit, getting them to come up with specific plans.

And General Charles Holland, the head of the U.S. Special Operations Command, is here in the Pentagon today actually, meeting with Secretary Rumsfeld and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, General Richard Myers, presenting his very specific plan for these new types of clandestine operations.

Here's what the pentagon spokesman had to say about it all earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA CLARKE, PENTAGON SPOKESWOMAN: We're always looking for ways to be more adaptive, to be more flexible, to be faster, to be more lethal, to go after what is a very unconventional enemy. And so a lot of people, including General Holland and Secretary Rumsfeld, the senior civilian and military leadership, will continue to try to produce exactly those sorts of plans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: We are told that this whole new effort could involve Navy SEALS, the Army's super secret Delta Force, and a number of other types of Special Forces who, as they get the intelligence to target these top officials, will begin moving around the world to try and locate them, capture them, or kill them - Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Barbara Starr, live from the Pentagon, thanks Barbara.

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