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CNN Live At Daybreak

Latest Updates From The Pentagon On the War in Afghanistan

Aired November 29, 2001 - 05:01   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we want to go right to the Pentagon. That's where Ed Lavandera is standing by. Ed's telling us about the latest U.S. military ratcheting up pressure on al Qaeda, the Taliban and that hunt for Osama bin Laden -- Ed, good morning. Good to see you.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

There's an interesting piece of news coming out of the Pentagon perhaps today. The "Los Angeles Times" is reporting that Ahmed Omar Abdel Rahman, the 35-year-old son of the Muslim cleric who was convicted in the first bombing of the World Trade Center, has been captured by the Northern Alliance and that he is being held at a secret location. This is all according to the "L.A. Times".

Rahman is an influential figure in the al Qaeda terrorist network, very close to Osama bin Laden, and is suspected, U.S. intelligence sources say, that he is known to be a recruiter for the al Qaeda terrorist network. And, of course, this comes at a time, as U.S. military officials say that they are trying to step up the pressure on putting pressure on the leadership of the Taliban regime and of al Qaeda terrorist network individuals.

The U.S. military releasing video yesterday of an attack on, the quickly arranged attack that struck a compound southeast of Kandahar, where at the time they suspected that the leader of the Taliban regime might have been hiding out at the time.

That came in as an intelligence reports and the quickly arranged attack was dropped in on the location. The Taliban says that Omar -- Mullah Mohammed Omar is safe at this point. But this is also part of a larger strategy, as I mentioned, of picking up the pressure on these folks.

And another strategy the U.S. military official in central command in Tampa, Florida telling us that the general in charge of this campaign is also picking up his strategy. They want to increase its presence on the ground in Afghanistan by adding more of these forward bases of operations, one of which was opened up, started opening up as marines landed southwest of Kandahar as early as Sunday. And they say the strategy here is to go against the top people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REAR ADMIRAL JOHN STUFFLEBEEM, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: If we break the leadership of the Taliban and break the leadership of al Qaeda, there is very, or there is reduced emphasis or reduced motivation for troops to stay loyal to the cause and continue to fight. There will always be pockets who are going to fight to the death in any case. But getting the key leadership and breaking the chain of command is going to render much of that ineffective. And so therefore the pressure is on that leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And they're hoping that that will trickled down and dissuade the people, the followers of the Taliban on the ground, to put down their arms. But the U.S. military convinced that many of those folks will also fight to the death. U.S. military officials insisting that the situation on the ground remains very tense and a very dangerous situation for many of the U.S. marines there on the ground right now -- Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: Ed, another development on the ground, I understand the first conventional army troops are moving into Afghanistan.

LAVANDERA: Yes, there is about two dozen forces that were brought in from the north out of Uzbekistan. They were brought in to guard some of the, a couple of air strips in northern Afghanistan. Again, another sign of just how volatile things are on the ground there and they're hoping that these forces will be able to control some of the situation and just be an added support to the Northern Alliance troops that are on the ground in the north.

KAGAN: All right, Ed, don't go far. We're going to hear from you again in the next hour from the Pentagon.

LAVANDERA: You've got it.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera, thank you very much.

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