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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bin Laden Manhunt Focuses on Tora Bora

Aired December 11, 2001 - 05:00   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: The hunt for Osama bin Laden is focusing in the eastern Afghan mountains around Tora Bora. That's where U.S. air power and Eastern Alliance ground troops are pounding al Qaeda positions. And it is paying off.

CNN's Ben Wedeman, the only journalist on the front lines, is covering the fighting in Tora Bora and he joins us with an update -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol, actually there was intense bombing overnight and this morning, but now it is quiet. And it's quiet because it appears that the Eastern Alliance has moved way into the mountains. We're hearing reports that they've overrun al Qaeda positions. The al Qaeda forces appear to be on the run.

Now, just a little while ago, however, we were listening in to some of the radio traffic in Arabic on the radio here and it appears that they're still alive, some of them at least, and operating and communicating with one another.

But for real up to date information from the front lines, we're going to try to go now to my colleague Brent Sadler, who has been following the Eastern Alliance forces as they've moved ahead -- Brent, if you're there, what are you seeing? What is the situation?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Ben.

Clearly on the ground here the siege of Tora Bora is showing dramatic signs of progress. I've just come from an obliterated al Qaeda base that was hit by heavy bombing over the past two weeks nearly and I was walking through, climbing through great craters, moonlike craters that have destroyed this al Qaeda main base. There was a communications room in there, a weight training area, an assault course, a tank that was being used as an artillery piece to try and prevent the Eastern Alliance Afghan forces moving here. But in the past several hours, they've been able to, after a series of close quarter fighting -- I can tell you it was close because we were pinned down with them in the final minutes of this push to get this base.

They got to that base. We've seen a complex of small tunnels, caves, trenches and euphoric Eastern Alliance fighters going through the area, picking through Osama bin Laden's followers, their belongings, their clothing, their ammunition and so forth. So dramatic scenes here, the first close up visual indication that we've had that Osama bin Laden's fighters are on the run.

We've also seen bodies scattered, freshly inflicted casualties after this morning's very strong close quarter fighting here.

Also, a truce was offered by anti-Taliban commanders to remaining pockets of al Qaeda terrorists, suggesting that they should surrender. And we're waiting to see how that pans out.

But certainly al Qaeda's defensive positions up here in the mountains crumbling. Big advances by the anti-Taliban forces and a dramatic change in fortunes on this siege against Tora Bora -- Ben.

WEDEMAN: Yes, Brent, and have they taken any prisoners? What is the situation? Have you seen any al Qaeda prisoners?

SADLER: No. We saw the gunfire, machine gun fire of al Qaeda about three hours ago shooting at Afghan forces, pinning them down and pinning us down, very close machine gun fire. That resulted in a tank bombardment, a heavy bombardment with tanks and rockets. That pushed al Qaeda back. There were casualties inflicted.

It's hill to hill, valley to valley, gulley to gulley really tough combat here in this hostile terrain, which suits the defenders more than the attackers. But certainly a real change here. No prisoners that I know about so far, but certainly bodies. Their weapons stripped by the victorious al Qaeda fighters, who are looking very, very happy as things stand on the ground right now -- Ben.

WEDEMAN: OK, that was Brent Sadler very close, actually on the front lines.

Now, Carol, just to give you a little background, beginning yesterday morning, we saw an incredible intensification of the air and land bombardment of the mountains behind me. Last night, one of our producers saw what appeared to be one of these 15,000 pound daisy cutter bombs being used, deployed in the mountains and certainly given the bombardment, the intensity of it, the violence of it, certainly it comes as no surprise that al Qaeda finally caved in and had to run for the hills, so to speak -- back to you, Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Ben Wedeman on the front lines, as well as Brent Sadler. Stay safe out there.

Of course, the main prize in this battle is Osama bin Laden and the big question is where is he and will he be captured?

CNN's Natalie Pawelski is at the Pentagon this morning with the latest on that manhunt -- Natalie.

NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the Pentagon says its best intelligence indicates that Osama bin Laden may, in fact, be with those al Qaeda fighters holed up in the mountains and caves of Tora Bora facing continuing attacks from Eastern Alliance fighters on the ground and U.S. planes overhead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY: This is a man on the run, a man with a big price on his head, a man who has to wake up every day and decide do I keep all the security around me which I need to make sure that some Afghan bounty hunters don't turn me in, but which help to give a lot of reports about my whereabouts, or do I go into hiding? He doesn't have a lot of good options.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAWELSKI: Here in the U.S., bin Laden is facing a possible assault on the propaganda front. The White House is aiming to release a videotape tomorrow, not the one seen here, by the way, that officials consider a smoking gun linking bin Laden to the bombings of September 11. On the tape, a sort of home movie of a dinner party, sources say bin Laden makes it clear he knew the details of the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center before they happened.

Before the tape is released, sources say, the White House wants independent translators from outside the government to review it, an effort to counter any possible charges that the administration is twisting what bin Laden said.

The White House says President Bush likes the idea of letting people hear bin Laden's damaging words for themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For those who see this tape, they'll realize that not only is he guilty of incredible murder, he has no conscience and no soul, that he represents the worst of civilization.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAWELSKI: And marking the day of infamy that led to this war in the first place, here at the Pentagon a little more than four hours from now, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will host a ceremony marking the moment when the hijacked jetliner crashed into this building three months ago today -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Natalie Pawelski reporting live from the Pentagon this morning.

Of course, we've got correspondents around the world covering this story. But also for an in depth look at the hunt for Osama bin Laden and all the latest, of course, on the war against terror, you can go to our Web site, cnn.com. AOL keyword is CNN.

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