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CNN Live At Daybreak

White House Ponders Release of New Tape; Bombing of Tora Bora Intensifies

Aired December 10, 2001 - 05:04   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Afghanistan, a recently discovered videotape contains what some U.S. officials believe is the clearest link yet between Osama bin Laden and the September 11 attacks.

But as CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace reports, it's still not certain whether you're going to be able to see that tape.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice-over): President Bush, returning from Camp David and facing a decision, whether to release to the public a new videotape U.S. officials have obtained of Osama bin Laden, a tape the vice president says leaves no doubt bin Laden was behind the September 11 attacks.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's pretty clear, as it's described to me, that he does, in fact, display significant knowledge of what happened and there's no doubt about his responsibility for the attack on September 11.

WALLACE: The new tape, according to the vice president, shows bin Laden, seen here in a different tape first aired in November, meeting with a cleric about the terrorist attacks. U.S. officials told the ``Washington Post,'' that on the tape, found in a house in Jalalabad, bin Laden indicates the total collapse of the World Trade Center was more damage than he had anticipated. He also claims to have told a group, after learning the first plane hit the north tower, that more is coming.

The deputy defense secretary says the tape should put to rest any doubts in the Muslim world about bin Laden's culpability.

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: I hope people might quit with these wild conspiracy theories that suggest it's someone else and, you know, they get pretty wild around the world.

WALLACE: Meantime, the Bush Administration believes bin Laden remains in Afghanistan, holed up south of Jalalabad, in the White Mountains near Tora Bora.

UNIDENTIFIED MILITARY OFFICIAL: We are still on the hunt for all the al Qaeda leadership and UBL is part of that, but not the only part of that. In the hunt up there we think we know in general where he is. We can't be sure, but we think we know.

WALLACE (on camera): U.S. officials have been reluctant to release evidence about bin Laden, concerned that making such details public could compromise future intelligence gathering. Now they have to weigh that concern against the benefits of releasing what some believe to be the strongest evidence yet linking Osama bin Laden to the September 11 attacks.

Kelly Wallace, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Turning now to the latest from Afghanistan, we have two correspondents reporting live for us this hour.

Nic Robertson is in Kandahar covering the power struggle after the Taliban abandoned their stronghold.

But we begin with Brent Sadler in Tora Bora on the hunt for Osama bin Laden -- Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Carol.

Well, some significant developments here over the past few hours. After more than a week of heavy and sustained U.S. aerial bombardments in the White Mountains behind me, in the valleys leading up to Tora Bora, thought to be Osama bin Laden's command complex, we've seen T-55 tanks, the old Russian made armor, one of which you see behind me over there, that's just finished blasting away at al Qaeda positions in the lower level valleys leading up to Tora Bora.

This one of a number of tanks, three in all, that have been firing at those positions, well entrenched, well armed positions of al Qaeda. Al Qaeda pouring earlier today here mortar fire from those positions, from the forested areas, from their caves against Eastern Alliance anti-Taliban forces.

Now, that we've seen for the past three days and that coincided with stepped up U.S. air activity, which seemed to halt about seven hours ago. We saw a blast by B-52 bombers just after dawn and then we saw the order given for the T-55s and heavy caliber anti-aircraft gunners being also used against ground positions of al Qaeda.

Now, we've just heard from Ben Wedeman, CNN's correspondent who's with the front line forces just a few miles from here, and he tells us that Hazarat Ali, one of the force commanders, is claiming that as a result of this tank fire after this week or so of softening up by U.S. air strikes, that he and his men have been able to take, within this morning's action, a number of important positions, notably, two command complexes and four tunnels.

There's no word of casualties either on the al Qaeda side or the Eastern Alliance side. But certainly very significant news there after what had seemed many hours of stalemate on the battlefield. Still no activity as far as U.S. warplanes in the sky over Tora Bora. We have seen a U.S. surveillance aircraft high overhead, presumably taking pictures of what's happening on the ground, and obviously the U.S. bombers staying away because of the proximity of the al Qaeda fighters defending their positions and what seems to be slowly advancing, creeping up those valleys behind me, Eastern Alliance forces.

So important breakthroughs here, it seems, at this stage. But al Qaeda are still very much there, still very much able to fire mortar shells against Eastern Alliance forces -- back to you, Carol.

LIN: Brent, what is the clearest indication, though, that bin Laden is even there?

SADLER: Well, no information whatsoever for the past several days. In fact, we were speaking to one of the commanders, in fact, the son of the governor of Jalalabad. And after many reports a few days ago that bin Laden himself might have been directing, ordering the defenses of Tora Bora with as many as 1,000 die hard supporters with him, the radio traffic's gone silent. No references, no alleged sightings of bin Laden, very quiet on that front.

But I can tell you, having seen the mortar fire myself at close range, that the al Qaeda defenders dug into those hills behind me are still able to put up a fight -- Carol.

LIN: Brent Sadler in Tora Bora.

And now we move further south to Kandahar, the Taliban stronghold. Nic Robertson there reporting live for us.

Nic, the Taliban is gone, but can you tell us who is actually in charge of the city now?

Nic Robertson. All right, we're going to try to reestablish communications with Nic there. There has been a power vacuum in that city since the Taliban fled that city and right now we're hearing Nic Robertson live once again.

Nic, I don't know if you heard me before, but I'm wondering, you are there in the city of Kandahar. There's a power vacuum there. The Taliban has left. Is it any clearer, though, who is actually in charge of the city?

All right, we're going to have to try to reestablish that connection. Of course, connections being very dicey in southern Afghanistan. We are going to get back to Nic a little later.

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