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CNN Live At Daybreak

KC-130 Crash Under Investigation; 45 New Detainees In Kandahar

Aired January 10, 2002 - 05:02   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More on the crash of a U.S. military refueling jet. It's under investigation right now, as you might expect. Seven Marines died when the KC-130 crashed into a Pakistani mountainside.

CNN's Bob Constantini is live at the Pentagon with the latest this morning -- good morning to you, Bob.

BOB CONSTANTINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

There are reports of witnesses near the scene who say the plane appeared to be on fire before it crashed into the rugged mountainside. Now, U.S. military officials here are stressing there is no indication that enemy aircraft brought -- enemy anti-aircraft fire brought the aircraft down on Wednesday night.

It happened near the Pakistani town of Shamsi, 150 miles from the city of Quetta. The KC-130 tanker started its mission in Jacobabad Wednesday, making several stops at undisclosed locations before heading to a base at Shamsi, which the U.S. is using in Operation Enduring Freedom. Not far from that base, the plane crashed into the rugged mountain terrain.

The names of the victims were released by the Pentagon late Wednesday night and the list includes radio operator Sergeant Jeannette Winters of Gary, Indiana, the first female U.S. soldier killed in the war on terrorism. All were stationed at the Marine corps air base in Miramar, California.

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MAJOR T.V. JOHNSON, MIRAMAR BASE SPOKESMAN: The cause of the crash is under investigation. The mission sounded fairly routine from everything I heard at CINCOM, as routine as it could be in a war time situation. But I don't think it was anything out of the ordinary.

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CONSTANTINI: The KC-130 is capable of refueling planes and helicopters in midair and is known to be one of the safest aircraft in the U.S. military fleet.

Now, President Bush paused for a moment to remember those lost during a Wednesday night political fundraiser. (AUDIO GAP)

COSTELLO: Bob, what did the president have to say?

CONSTANTINI: Oh, Carol, he said that our hearts and prayers are going out to the families of the soldiers but I want to remind them that the cause that we are now engaged in is just and noble. That cause is freedom. And the president got a lot of applause with that line. It was the single worst loss of life incident for American soldiers in Operation Enduring Freedom -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Bob Constantini reporting live for us from the Pentagon.

And you heard Bob say, he mentioned some of the victims named in that Marine plane crash. We have their names in full for you now: Captain Matthew Bancroft of Shasta, California died there; Captain Daniel McCollum of Richland, South Carolina; Gunnery Sergeant Stephen Bryson of Montgomery, Alabama; Staff Sergeant Scott Germoson of Queens, New York; Sergeant Nathan Hays of Lincoln, Washington; Lance Corporal Bryan Bertrand of Coos Bay, Oregon; and Sergeant Jeannette Winters of Gary, Indiana.

More on 23-year-old Lance Corporal Bryan Bertrand now. He was the KC-130's flight navigator. He joined the Marine corps in 1998. His father Bruce says he was informed of Brian's death yesterday afternoon by two Marines. Scott Peters', Brian's brother-in-law, says Brian will be missed. He adds, "We're just all very proud of Brian. He was a wonderful member of the family."

Back in Afghanistan, 45 additional detainees were brought in overnight to the U.S. base at Kandahar Airport.

CNN's Bill Hemmer is there.

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No detainees have made the move yet for Cuba, but we understand through sources that flights had been arranged on Monday night and Tuesday night of this week. Both times those flights were canceled. We're told through Marines here at the base that they're ready to go, but Cuba right now is now. However, that opinion is not reflected from Guantanamo Bay.

Whatever the case right now, though, the U.S. military will make sure everything is lid tight in terms of security before the first detainees take out of here in Kandahar.

In the meantime, as no detainee has left, dozens of detainees continue to pour in. Late last night overnight exclusive videotape, one group of 18 bound, shackled, hooded headed into the detention facility here in Kandahar. We know that area now is divided into two, a smaller and a larger area. The larger area was empty as of last night, cleaned up and cleared out for the arrival of the new detainees.

There's another piece of videotape that we want to show you, a second group that came in hours later. We counted 25 in this group, including several injured detainees. You can see in there quite clearly medical staff attending to some of their wounds and I.V. bottles hanging off some of the detainees. It is possible that these were al Qaeda fighters flushed out of the Tora Bora region obtained and then later forwarded from Pakistan to here in Kandahar Airport.

Forty-six more last night here in Kandahar, the running total now 352 as we await the first shipment to head out to Cuba at some point very soon.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

COSTELLO: And U.S. forces at Kandahar Airport are waiting for orders to transport al Qaeda and Taliban detainees to their next location. U.S. Air Force crews will provide security for the flights to Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba have already received special training. Security dogs may also make the trip.

At Guantanamo, construction of outdoor cells goes on at a fast pace. The detainees will be locked up in small cubicles surrounded by a chain link fence. The temporary camp will ultimately be replaced by a permanent building.

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