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CNN Live Saturday

Air Forces are Called in for Operation Anaconda

Aired March 09, 2002 - 12:01   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: On to our top story now. In eastern Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda shifted into high gear again today with U.S. aircraft pounding al Qaeda and Taliban positions. The entrenched enemy fighters have reportedly been given two days to surrender or face a new wave of assaults from fresh Afghan reinforcements.

CNN's Martin Savidge has more now from Bagram.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The bad weather over the past two days has finally broken here in Bagram, and now helicopters once more taking off. It's an indication that Operation Anaconda may once more be revving up after what has been relatively two days of quiet out there on the front lines in eastern Afghanistan.

Still, U.S. officials say in the eight days of that operation, over 500 al Qaeda and Taliban forces have been killed. Those that remain have a choice: surrender or die. Afghan forces are being brought in in large numbers to assist in the final stages of the operation, and they bring with them heavy armor that may be used to help sweep through some of the villages.

There is also some concern that perhaps reason it had been quiet was that coalition forces did not want to suffer any more casualties like they had in the first week. That is something that U.S. officials here deny emphatically.

MAJ. BRYAN HILFERTY, ARMY SPOKESMAN: So when we find them, we will to and we with either make them surrender or we will kill them. We are going to search the caves. We are going to search the entire area. We are not going to do it carelessly or needlessly. We are going to conserve our resources for the fine men and women fighting this war on terrorism. They still have two choices: surrender or die. We are using fire support, and we are continuing to kill them.

SAVIDGE: U.S. officials here say also in the last 24 hours, there have been no wounds and no deaths of anyone in the coalition forces of Operation Anaconda.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Bagram, Afghanistan.

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