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CNN Live At Daybreak

Pentagon Says It Believes bin Laden Still in Tora Bora

Aired December 10, 2001 - 06:32   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 the meantime let's check on the latest on the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Bob Costantini is at the Pentagon with that -- morning Bob.

BOB COSTANTINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol. There have been no reported sightings for the past couple of days, but military leaders here stress they have good intelligence information that leads them to believe Osama bin Laden is still hiding out in the Tora Bora region with other top leaders of the al Qaeda terrorist network.

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GEN. RICHARD MYERS: I think our chances of getting that leadership are still good, although they're going to have opportunities to hide and to run. That's the big effort in Tora Bora right now, of course, putting the pressure on the al Qaeda up there. They're dug in, fighting fiercely.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

COSTANTINI: Officials here say a new videotape of Osama bin Laden shows him expressing surprise and thanking God that the September 11th plane attacks caused the total collapse of the World Trade Center towers.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Say it's disgusting. I mean this is a man who takes pride and pleasure in having killed thousands of innocent human beings, and it confirms everything we've known about him already.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

COSTANTINI: Wolfowitz says there are parts of the tape that make it clear bin Laden had advance knowledge and was involved in the planning of the September 11th attacks. The White House is weighing the idea of releasing the tape and making it public.

Now sources tell CNN that John Walker, American captured alongside Taliban fighters will soon be turned over to the U.S. Justice Department, which must decide how and whether to try him for allegedly aiding the enemy. He is said to be recovering from a gunshot wound at Camp Rhino near Kandahar while providing American troops with information about the Taliban.

The 20-year old Walker is now officially labeled a battlefield detainee, but military brass are reportedly anxious to turn him and the tricky decision of what to do with him over to the political leaders here in Washington -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Bob, for the latest from the Pentagon.

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