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CNN Live Saturday

U.S. Military Recovers Bodies of Five U.S. Marines

Aired January 12, 2002 - 17:09   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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, as we mentioned earlier in this newscast, U.S. military teams have recovered the bodies of five U.S. Marines. They were killed when their refueling plane crashed into a mountainside in western Pakistan, and the search continues for the other two. Fellow Marines remembered them today at the air base that's near Kandahar in Afghanistan where the transfer of control to the Army is now well under way, and CNN's Bill Hemmer has an update.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The colonel who runs the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army met with reporters on Saturday. Within two weeks' time, we anticipate the Marines to be relieved from their duty here and up to 2,500 soldiers may roll in.

COL. FRANK WIERCINSKI, U.S. ARMY: Well, clearly the Marines have done a superb job in getting here and securing this air base initially. Obviously, it was in a great state of disrepair when they came in. They've made incredible improvements up to this point in time, and as we flow in with the remainder of our troops we intend to improve every day -- improve on security, improve on defense, improve on infrastructure, improve on the logistics here for sustainment of operations for us, so that we can live healthfully and survive, and those types of things.

I mean, the Marines have been doing it now for a while. We plan to pick up and just run with that ball as it continues.

HEMMER: The colonel also says the duties for the Army will continue to be security for this air base and also heavy security for the detention facility here in Kandahar.

Meanwhile for the Marines, a sad day and a sad reminder during a memorial service held on Saturday morning.

Six men and one woman died in a fiery plane crash in southwestern Pakistan Wednesday night. The recovery process of that rugged site is said to be ongoing, and the Pentagon so far has ruled out the possibility of enemy fire.

Also more fallout for the Marine firefight of Thursday night. A search of the ground and air found shell casings there and a few rocket propelled grenades left behind, the Marines say, in a hurry. More importantly, the Marines now say they know the hiding places of the enemy and they know where the opposition forces have operated.

Also, Kandahar continues to look like the jumping off point for all detainees shipped to Cuba. Thirty more came in Saturday morning -- the total now 391. But just as important, the runway now can handle a C-141, that's the same type of aircraft that helped complete the first trip to Cuba. A C-141 needs about 6,000 feet of runway space to take off and land. After significant repairs here in Kandahar, it now has that.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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