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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bob Franken Reports on Yesterday's Defense Department Briefing

Aired October 31, 2001 - 06:02   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: In the latest attacks on Afghanistan, U.S. jets struck areas around the southern city of Kandahar overnight. Explosions were heard and flashes could be seen on the horizon. On the outskirts of Kandahar, CNN's Nic Robertson reports hearing what he believes to be C-130 transport planes flying low overt the city. A Taliban spokesman said that two civilian houses were hit overnight and casualties did result. The U.S. has said it is not purposely targeting civilians.

With the latest on the military campaign, we want to go to the Pentagon and that is where our Bob Franken is standing by. Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn. And probably the latest news was the disclosure, the acknowledgment yesterday by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that there are U.S. troops on the ground, a small number of them - a modest number according to Rumsfeld directing airstrikes - airstrikes like the ones we've been seeing from gun cameras just about as long as there's been an Afghan aerial campaign. Of course, the latest we got yesterday at the Pentagon showed a tank being taken out.

There's almost a daily dose of these. Rumsfeld had said earlier that about 80 percent of the sorties that were flown in the last day or so have been aimed at troop positions of the Taliban. That in answer to criticism from the Northern Alliance that there has not been enough pounding of Taliban positions.

Now the ground forces are - they are directing them. They're at the request, according to Pentagon officials there, because the Northern Alliance forces had asked for them to try and make more effective the airstrikes. Now of course many of the complaints have been about the civilian casualties. The Pentagon has been fighting a very defensive position here. But the Pentagon points out that Taliban forces are really hiding in various areas of civilian centers such as residents and such as Mosque. As a matter of fact, when Rumsfeld was talking about that, he seemed to be taunting the Taliban troops.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: They can not do battle from inside Mosque. Therefore, if they're going to eventually prevail, which is their intention, they're going to come outside and quit hiding in caves and hiding in Mosques and hiding in residential areas. I could say cowering in caves and cowering in Mosque and residential areas. And when - and when they do, obviously you have an opportunity.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

FRANKEN: Now one of the things that Pentagon officials have talked about earlier Daryn was the possibility that if they continue the Taliban could continue to hide in residential areas, they might have to resort to what they strongly suggest that would be ground troops going in there and pulling them out as opposed to aerial campaigns.

Daryn.

KAGAN: Bob, what can you tell us about while these military professionals go about planning the war on terrorism, this bid for ordinary Americans to write into a Web site if they have any great ideas about how to fight terrorism.

FRANKEN: Well, they're really talking about the small companies who might have some really exotic idea that might in fact let them be able to see inside buildings or around corners - that type of thing. The whole message here has been that this is a different kind of war. It's going to involve different kinds of everything including technology and that may be some of that technology is being developed in somebody's basement.

KAGAN: All right, Bob Franken at the Pentagon. Thank you Bob.

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