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CNN Live Saturday

One U.S. Soldier Dead in Afghanistan

Aired March 02, 2002 - 18:01   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get more details on our top story, today's attack in eastern Afghanistan that killed at least one American soldier.

CNN has learned that President Bush was told about the new U.S. casualty this morning.

Our Jonathan Aiken has been following these developments and joins us now with a live report from the Pentagon -- Jonathan.

JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, hi, Jeanne. As you mentioned, one U.S. soldier killed. Two Afghan fighters dead, as well, in what the U.S. military command calls an unspecified number of U.S. and coalition forces injured, as U.S. and coalition troops launch what's being called the largest operation to date in Afghanistan.

The focus of all this activity is the mountains around the town of Gardez. It's also the focus of coalition efforts, their target being Taliban and al Qaeda forces said to be regrouping over the past several weeks in this mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. A.C. ROPER, SPOKESMAN, 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION: For some time, now, coalition forces and Afghan forces have been conducting operations in eastern Afghanistan to eliminate al Qaeda and Taliban forces that we have identified in the region.

Our goal since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom has been to eliminate al Qaeda and Taliban elements from the country so they cannot reconstitute and become a threat to the lawful government of Afghanistan or to the world.

We are moving methodically to identify those elements so we can achieve that goal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AIKEN: Now, as many as 600 Afghan fighters and an advance team of U.S. troops launched this assault. It began on Friday evening in Afghanistan when U.S. B-52 bombers were seen over the area of eastern Afghanistan. And we are told that bombing continued well into Saturday. Now, Afghan troops, who were engaged in this first assault, retreated from their positions, saying they were heavily outnumbered and out-armed by thousands of al Qaeda and Taliban forces who were defending their high ground with mortar and machine gun fire.

More U.S. troops, in fact, Jean, arriving within the region. They're going to be led by elements of the 101st Airborne Division coming out of Kandahar.

There are also special operations forces, which are based in the eastern part of Afghanistan, and they are also going to be joining this effort.

Now, we should add that the Pakistan military is cooperating, as well, because of Gardez's proximity to their border. They have closed 60 miles of border within this mountainous region. And they have fortified locations along that line.

They say the idea is to try to prevent these al Qaeda and Taliban troops from going back and forth over the mountains to escape the battle and then regroup on the other side -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Jonathan, these thermobaric bombs used today, what are they? How do they work? What do they do?

AIKEN: Well, these thermobaric bombs are relatively new. They're a new part of the U.S. arsenal, and in fact, a new weapon in Afghanistan.

They were rushed into production to be used in this operation. There were only a relative few available to the U.S. military.

Essentially what they are, are bunker busters, but they're a new generation. These are designed to penetrate caves and other fortified sites, and sometimes can be fired within the entrances to caves and sites themselves.

And it's not so much a fireball that's used here. What it is, is a combination of heat and air. Intense pressure - air pressure - is applied within the inside of this cave or fortress.

And by increasing the atmosphere, increasing the pressure, you get to the point where essentially you have a blow-out. Whatever is in the cave is then expelled simply by the force of air.

Now, as I mentioned, very few of them available. They are expensive, and they are relatively new. Two of them, in fact, were used today on a cave located near the town of Gardez.

We don't know exactly what prompted that cave to be such an important site for the U.S. military. One official told us it was a target-rich location.

But if you're using two relatively new bombs that are scarce, within a theater of operation like Afghanistan, you have to imagine that there's something afoot, and something they wanted to get inside that cave. Jeanne.

MESERVE: Jonathan Aiken at the Pentagon, thanks.

AIKEN: Sure.

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