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CNN Live At Daybreak

Analysis of Northern Alliance's Swift March on Kabul

Aired November 13, 2001 - 08:49   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: With the Northern Alliance rolling into Kabul overnight, what is next? Well, reports indicate that Kandahar is now threatened. Miles O'Brien is standing by at our big board with the very latest on that. Miles?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Paula, the Northern Alliance is on a roll. There's no question about it. And joining me to sort of look back and look ahead is retired Major General Don Shepperd, United States Air Force, our military analyst, and it's worth just stepping back only one week ago and taking us through the march of the Northern Alliance. Let's take a look at one of the graphics that we put together here to give you a sense of what's going on in the region. As we zoom on into Afghanistan as we have done so many times over these past couple of months, let's start first of all -- it really began with Mazar-e-Sharif, right?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It did indeed, about a week ago, Miles. It's a blitzkrieg from there. The three key towns down toward Kabul, Samangan, Bamian, and Pol-e Khomri. Next, basically, Kunduz, then Talukan, then Herat over in the west, and now Kabul down there. A rapid, rapid progression.

O'BRIEN: That is a stunning week for any military force. Clearly, the U.S. air power providing the cover that is necessary to do this. What broke, though, on the ground? What changed?

SHEPPERD: Well, basically, the air power, the effects of the air power, enabled the ground campaign. And then rapid movement. Also, the special forces that were the ground forces, the Northern Alliance, identifying targets. That made all the difference in the world. Then you see a sudden collapse, much like Vietnam in 1975, much like Iraq in 1991.

O'BRIEN: So, here's where they are headed, towards Kandahar. And that changes the dynamic somewhat. We're hearing reports that even Kandahar might in fact be under siege, might be evacuated. That the Taliban might choose to find cover in the mountains, for example. If you're in charge of an air campaign now, this is something that would presumably make you pretty happy because all of a sudden, your area of targeting is -- what -- about a third of what it was before?

SHEPPERD: Indeed. You focus all of your sensors on the new area down there, enable you to sort out targets. But there's also some other factors. As you retreat, you have refugees mixed in with convoys. You have to be very careful about what you heat -- hit. There is confusion between the good guys and the bad guys and where each of them are. You have to be very careful with your air power now.

O'BRIEN: All right. Is this something, when you look back on it, air power is decisive, was decisive, the key component, how would you rate it when you put in the whole mix of what's going on?

SHEPPERD: Well, clearly, air power was decisive, but so decisive also were the special forces put in with the Northern Alliance, so also decisive were the ground action by the Northern Alliance. It's the combined effects of military power from all sources that make this happen. No one factor.

O'BRIEN: All right, in a word, about out of time, was the Pentagon a bit surprised about how quickly things turned from the Taliban?

SHEPPERD: Everyone was surprised.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you very much, Major General Don Shepperd, retired U.S. Air Force. As always, helping us understand things.

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