Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Interview with Col. James Huggins
Aired August 26, 2002 - 11:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. is cataloging evidence seized in a week-long sweep in the southeastern Afghan mountains. Troops nabbed five weapons caches and a number of Taliban documents. One of the primary targets of the sweep, a suspected al Qaeda money man did get away, but at least ten suspected al Qaeda and Taliban members are in custody today.
Colonel James Huggins was the commander of Operation Mountain Sweep, and he joins us via videophone right now from Kandahar Air Base -- Colonel, thank you very much for joining us. In taking a look at these weapons caches, does it appear that there was some form of an attack imminent?
COL. JAMES HUGGINS, COMMANDER, OPERATION MOUNTAIN SWEEP: We couldn't ascertain that from the caches we found. They are pretty standard configurations of small arms, some heavy ordinance, and rockets. But based on the area we were in, I don't think we can come to the conclusion that it was being staged for a military operation.
LIN: All right. Well, in this operation, one of your primary targets, a suspected al Qaeda financier, did manage to escape. You have been reporting that you believe that he was tipped off. Who was he tipped off by?
HUGGINS: We haven't been able to determine that. That really is up with our 10th Mountain Division headquarters. Tipped off, I don't know if that is the right term. When we moved into the area, many of the village elders in each of the six -- seven different villages we went into seemed to have some prior knowledge of us coming. I think that is pretty routine with most of the operations here in Afghanistan. We are trying to work with the Afghan people and trying to insure we minimize the collateral damage. I think some of it was associated with that.
LIN: Is that an indication though, Colonel, that the Afghans that your forces, U.S. forces are working with, cannot be trusted, then, on these missions?
HUGGINS: Oh, I don't think so at all, Carol. I think most of it is an indications that the local population here, the Afghan transitional authorities, the national -- army, they are trying to work together to try and keep their people informed. I don't think it was anything that was deliberate, that was to try and undermine our activities.
LIN: Colonel, can you tell us more about the ten suspected al Qaeda members that you managed to take into captivity. Apparently two of them may be holding Western passports.
HUGGINS: There are a few of them holding passports, Carol. Specific origins of each of the ten, I really can't discuss at this time, but again, we routinely will detain personnel operating in suspicious areas, things that are out of the sort, or out of ordinary. If they are associated with some caches, they automatically become suspect, and we process them back to our holding facility for further questioning and processing back to our higher headquarters.
LIN: Well, while you are trying to confirm the information, can you tell us, are these two men Caucasians? Could they be Americans?
HUGGINS: No, ma'am. Not at all.
LIN: They are not. All right. One quick last question. There was an explosion at a United Nations guest house in Kabul. It has been one of a series of explosions inside the city limits, which is one of the few areas where allied forces have been able to maintain some semblance of control. Is this an indication that al Qaeda is still operating even within the city limits, where U.S. forces are supposed to be protecting the Karzai government?
HUGGINS: I really can't comment on the operations up in Kabul. As you probably know, Kabul is a significant ways here from Kandahar, not really within my province to operate in. As far as your question about suspected al Qaeda, I don't believe that we have accomplished our mission here. We are still here to try and destroy the al Qaeda and the Taliban, and this is just evidence that they are still here, and our mission is still ongoing, ma'am.
LIN: Colonel Huggins, do you know how long your mission is going to last? Do you know when you can come home?
HUGGINS: Not specifically. Many of the rotations have been templated at 179 days, six months. We are not here focused on that. We told our soldiers we have got a mission do. It is quite clear, all the way from our division headquarters and to the CJTF-180. Our paratroopers here are committed. We take our mission very seriously, and although time is on our minds and our families are on our minds back home, first and foremost, we need to accomplish the mission we were sent here to do.
LIN: You bet, colonel, and I know that all your families miss you deeply. Thank you very much for joining us today. Colonel Huggins -- Colonel James Huggins, the Commander of Operation Mountain Sweep. Congratulations on a relatively successful mission.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
