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CNN Live At Daybreak

Sailor Falls Overboard as U.S. Strikes Continue in Afghanistan

Aired November 08, 2001 - 05:02   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: Our top story is the news of this sailor that supposedly has fallen off the USS Kitty Hawk. For the latest on that and the search, let's go to the Pentagon and Ed Lavandera -- Ed, good morning.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

This is still a developing story. We're waiting to hear more information from the Pentagon, perhaps as early as this morning. But almost 24 hours ago, a sailor fell overboard from the USS Kitty Hawk in the Arabian Sea. At this point the latest reports from military officials is that this is still a search and rescue mission. One bright spot is that the waters in the Arabian Sea where the USS Kitty Hawk is, we're told, are warm waters and that that is good news for the sailor. There is no information on who the sailor is or what he or she was doing at the time.

The USS Kitty Hawk is in the Arabian Sea essentially working as a floating base for U.S. special forces working in Afghanistan. It can carry a crew of up to 5,000 people. And the aircraft carrier stands as high as 200 feet at its highest point. Now, that can be a steep fall, obviously, but we're not exactly sure as to where exactly this sailor was working at the time.

Now, if this sailor is unable to be found alive it would be the fourth casualty that American military servicemen have endured in Operation Enduring Freedom since it started one month ago -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Ed, while news of that search goes on, let's check on some other military news out of the Pentagon. Italy now saying it wants to kick in some soldiers and also an aircraft carrier to the U.S. war on terrorism.

LAVANDERA: Yes, as well as some other countries who have been pledging their support, as well. Every indication that we've gotten so far is that they're still trying to work out the details as to exactly what kind of role these troops will play in the future operation and that is something that's a very delicate situation, as you might imagine, here at the Pentagon.

KAGAN: I can understand that.

Ed Lavandera at the Pentagon -- Ed, thank you very much. Yesterday did mark the one month anniversary of U.S. military strikes on Afghanistan and officials at the Pentagon say they believe all is going as scheduled.

But as CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre now tells us, it's more difficult to gauge the effectiveness of the campaign by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the one month mark, the Pentagon shows off its high tech advantage with a display of how sophisticated targeting systems can track Taliban vehicles and even pick out an individual just before a laser guided bomb is unleashed to deadly effect. Juxtapose that with the 19th century tactics U.S. special forces report are employed by some factions of the Northern Alliance.

GEN. PETER PACE, JOINT CHIEFS VICE CHAIRMAN: You have had one or more of your American service members who are in harm's way over there reporting back about cavalry charges, and this is opposition forces riding horseback into combat against tanks and armored personnel carriers.

MCINTYRE: Pentagon officials says there are some opposition forces in the north better equipped with tanks and other armor, but a big problem remains getting the competing factions to coordinate their battle plans. And while the rebels have occupied some Taliban territory near the strategic northern town of Mazar-e-Sharif, it's unclear if they took it by force or if the Taliban retreated in the face of the punishing U.S. air assault. It's also unclear if the rebels can hold on to their battlefield gains.

PACE: It is fluid. They are fighting. It is true that some units move without being forced to do so. It is also true that other units are in direct contact.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon says its now directing about two thirds of its strikes against Taliban forces arrayed against opposition militias, and about one third are hitting the caves where Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network is known to hide. Even with bin Laden still eluding the United States and the Taliban still in power, the Pentagon insists the war is going according to plan.

VICTORIA CLARKE, PENTAGON SPOKESWOMAN: And I would say to you one month later we are making progress and we're on track with what we set out to accomplish.

MCINTYRE (on camera): The Pentagon says it now has some special forces teams on the ground in southern Afghanistan working with groups that are not as organized as the Northern Alliance and that more teams of special forces commandos are standing by to go in.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: A perfect segue to see how the Northern Alliance is doing, getting word that it continues to march toward Mazar-e-Sharif.

For the latest on that, let's bring in Matthew Chance, who joins us from northern Afghanistan today -- Matthew, hello.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Daryn, there are reports coming down, filtering down to us from that strategic northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif that there have been some significant territorial gains made by the opposition Northern Alliance in the past 24 hours. They say they've advanced to within six kilometers of the outskirts of the city, taking some 500 Taliban defectors to switch sides and to change, to defect, essentially, from the Taliban to the ranks of the Northern Alliance. They also say they've taken some 280 Taliban fighters captured as prisoners of war. No independent confirmation, though, at this point about those territorial gains or about those figures that are being quoted to us by Northern Alliance officials.

In the meantime, let me bring you up to date on exactly what military developments are taking place in this area from where I'm speaking to you now north of the Afghan capital, Kabul. There has been a day of intensified U.S.-led coalition air strikes, particularly on those Taliban front line positions north of Kabul. Throughout the course of today, you've been hearing war planes of the coalition roar across the sky. Just a few seconds later, thundering explosions literally shaking the building from which we're talking to you right now and sending plumes of black and white smoke high into the skies over those front line positions.

So another indication of the extent to which the United States led coalition is assisting the Northern Alliance forces here on the ground in their military objectives, targeting those front line positions. Still no indication, though, of the Northern Alliance forces, at least here north of Kabul, making any advance on the Afghan capital -- Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Matthew, just for the sake of discussion, let's give the Northern Alliance claims the benefit of the doubt, saying that they are within six kilometers, about four miles of Mazar-e-Sharif. Even if that is the case, is it a case of being so close yet so far because of the mountains that would stand in the way between where they might be and getting into Mazar-e-Sharif?

CHANCE: Well, that's right, there are big Taliban defensive positions standing in the way of the Northern Alliance front line positions south and -- or rather virtually encircling, in fact, at least the northern, northeast and northwestern positions north of Mazar-e-Sharif. There are big Taliban fortifications there. The U.S.-led coalition has been repeatedly striking those fortifications to try and give the Northern Alliance at least some advantage in this battle. But up to now of the several weeks of that bombing campaign on those Taliban front lines north of Mazir, there hasn't been any indication, really, that the Northern Alliance have managed to make good use of those U.S.-led air strikes and to really capitalize on them and to move within striking distance of the city itself. So we're watching that situation very closely. We affirm once again that those positions, those numbers that have been given to us still unconfirmed as far as we're concerned -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Matthew Chance in the northern part of Afghanistan.

Now, let's bring it down -- and that map helped us to understand -- and go to the southern part near Kandahar, and that's where we find Kamal Hyder -- Kamal, what's the latest from where you are?

KAMAL HYDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, Thursday afternoon Allied aircrafts appeared over Kandahar. These were fighter aircrafts, unlike last night where they were using C-130s or AC-130s. These aircraft swooped over targets in the city and struck targets north of where we are, northern half of the city. A huge ball of smoke and dust went into the air which lingered on for several minutes.

It was, indeed, a heavy attack and fighter bombers being used this time in the attack -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Besides bombs, I've heard word that the U.S. military are dropping new kinds of leaflets. Have you seen any of those, Kamal?

HYDER: We have seen evidence of that, yes. We were able to get a few pieces of those. They were, of course, torn by the local people here who were not approving of them and said that this was propaganda. So we did get bits and pieces. We did find out about these leaflets being dropped on Hilmand also, which is further to the west, and, of course, evidence of that all over Kandahar. You can see it in Kandahar -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Kamal Hyder reporting to us from southern Afghanistan -- Kamal, thank you.

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