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Afghanistan: Operation Anaconda Enters Seventh Day

Aired March 07, 2002 - 20:00   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.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, I'm Nic Robertson in Gardez, the largest town close to the fighting in Operation Anaconda. In the show tonight, we'll get the latest from U.S. and Afghan commanders, as the battle enters its seventh day. And we'll get a report from another front on the War on Terrorism from the Philippines. That's all in LIVE FROM AFGHANISTAN.

ANNOUNCER: Operation Anaconda, despite rough weather, the battle in eastern Afghanistan rages on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe we destroyed over 100 of the Taliban and al Qaeda extremists yesterday, including some heavy weaponry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: In the line of fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN BILL RYAN, TASKFORCE TALON: I received fire through the right side of the aircraft, through the canopy as I was executing a maneuver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: An Apache helicopter pilot revealed what it's like in the heat of battle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN: It was traumatic at first a little bit and you kind of look around and make sure you still have everything that you started with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Target, Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: This sequence of five pictures have been obtained by CNN today, and again it's the first illustration that we've actually seen of the plane hitting the building.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: New photos give us a first look at the deadly impact on September 11th. LIVE FROM AFGHANISTAN, Nic Robertson.

ROBERTSON: Tonight, LIVE FROM AFGHANISTAN comes from Gardez, just 20 miles from the frontlines in Operation Anaconda. This town is about 8,000 feet up in the mountains, close to where the fighting rages on. It is about 70 miles south of Kabul, about 100 miles south of the main Bagram Air Base that is supporting the operations here.

Afghan commanders say that the battle continues. Overnight, we have heard allied aircraft flying overhead, and in the last few hours heard bombs falling, perhaps as close as 10 miles away. Afghan commanders say that morale is high among their troops, and from the Pentagon, the Pentagon confirms they have now, they believe, 450 al Qaeda fighters confirmed dead and an estimated 650 perhaps dead in total.

The operations on Thursday were slowed somewhat due to a storm moving into the area, and whipping up a lot of dust. Despite that, helicopters still flew dangerous missions into the area. From the Bagram Air Base, about 100 miles north of here, CNN's Martin Savidge has been monitoring the operations and files this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. military officials here at Bagram say that Operation Anaconda is pressing forward with the attack, and they claim that within the last 24 hours, another al Qaeda or Taliban fighters have been killed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The coalition forces continue to press the attack against the al Qaeda and Taliban extremists. Last night, we conducted resupply operations and yesterday we continued to conduct maneuver and fires. We believe we destroyed over 1,000 - excuse me, destroyed over 100 of the Taliban and al Qaeda extremists yesterday, including some heavy weaponry.

SAVIDGE: But there is another potential enemy for the coalition forces looming on the horizon, and that is weather. It is expected to turn bad over the next 36, perhaps for as long as three days. Here in the Bagram area, high winds have already been felt and rain is expected.

In the higher elevations, where this battle is being fought, they are expecting snow, and that would be a problem, not only for the forces on the ground, but also for the air forces that are involved, the helicopters bringing in extra equipment and new soldiers, and also what is called CAS, the close air support, that has been the backbone of the operation so far, bringing in heavy bombing raids from the sky.

Still, the military says they have been planning for this kind of weather. It is somewhat cyclical, and that they have been reinforcing and building up in advance of the bad weather. They also mentioned that there have been some captures of Taliban and al Qaeda forces. They don't say how many. They don't say whether they were surrendering, or whether they were actually captured during a fight, but they are being interrogated. They also claim that within the last 24 hours, there have been no casualties among coalition members.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Bagram, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: As Operation Anaconda draws to the end of its first week, Afghan commanders here say they are confident of success despite the slow progress being made.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice over): Hidden from view by a dust storm, a coalition aircraft flies in support of Operation Anaconda. Below, the windswept streets of Gardez the nearest large town to the fighting, testimony to the changing conditions on the frontlines not far away. From an equally desolate army base, an Afghan commander briefs journalists on the battle so far.

"It was a mistake" he says "in the beginning to miscalculate how many al Qaeda and Taliban there were." He says in the first two days, al Qaeda got reinforcements, but now all roads are blocked and the al Qaeda are surrounded. "The battle is lasting longer than expected" he says "but morale among coalition forces is high in anticipation of victory."

It's hard to tell if the streets are empty because of the bad weather or the heavy overnight bombing reported close to the town. In his store, Abdul says the bombing worries him because people aren't shopping and it's bad for business.

Down the street at his store, Hakam Ran (ph) says the fighting is bad because it puts Afghan against Afghan. However, he adds it's necessary to get rid of al Qaeda.

All around, the remnants of previous wars litter this town. The destruction high, locals say, because Pashtun tribes here are fierce and fought hard against the 1980s Soviet occupation.

Afghan commanders say they have approximately 800 troops currently engaged in Operation Anaconda. They also say they can supply more. The commanders also say that they have now cut off what they believe were Taliban and al Qaeda reinforcement routes coming from Pakistan in the early days.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

From the Afghan-Pakistan border, we are now joined by CNN's Kamal Hyder. Kamal, what are you seeing there about the possibility of al Qaeda reinforcements coming through from Pakistan? KAMAL HYDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nic, you are aware that the air operations in Afghanistan have proven to be meticulously accurate since the beginning of the war, including the bombing on civilian targets, where there were concentrations of civilian targets and where the coalition forces tried to avoid those targets. The accuracy was there and, of course, there was sad loss of life.

But with such an extensive air operation going on in the area, it would be very difficult to believe that large reinforcements are actually heading from the Pakistani border, especially when there is such a strong presence here of the Pakistani military forces. Nic.

ROBERTSON: Kamal, you're in the tribal region of Pakistan that has very close ties with the Pashtun tribes just across the border here. What are you picking up about the mood surrounding the Operation Anaconda?

HYDER: Well, Nic, the reports reaching here from Paktia and this entire region, the longest border with Paktia, they suggest that the fire is very intense and that the resistance is very fierce. They say that al Qaeda members and Taliban remnants they say are the hardcore elements, the dedicated elements, and that therefore they will fight as hard as they can. Nic.

ROBERTSON: Kamal Hyder on the Afghan-Pakistan border, thank you very much. Some U.S. troops who have been injured in Operation Anaconda are being taken to a military facility in Germany for treatment. On Thursday, more of those injured joined nine of their colleagues who are already receiving treatment at that base. Their spirits, we are told at this time, are high.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIEUTENANT MELANIE SPARKS, U.S. ARMY NURSE: They're doing very well, considering all that they've been through. Their spirits are very good. They all came in late last night and we helped them get settled. They all were able to speak with their family, and so they all know, you now, have gotten in touch with someone at home and they're doing very well. They really are looking forward to going home, but at the same time, having to leave their unit is also something that they're dealing with. But overall, their spirits are great.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: The military hospital they're being treated in is in Landstuhl in Germany. At the Pentagon now, we are going to talk with CNN's Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre. Jamie McIntyre has pictures now of the September 11th attack on the Pentagon. CNN was the first news organization to get these pictures. Jamie, what do the pictures show us?

MCINTYRE: Well, of course they're a reminder, very starkly of what this whole war is about and how it began. Up until now, very few people have actually seen what it looked like when that plane hit the side of the Pentagon on September 11th, because the only pictures have been held by the government. But these series of still photographs, taken from a Pentagon checkpoint nearby, shoes the plane coming in at an extremely low angle and hitting really the ground floor of this five story building as it impacts with the building.

Now it's hard, very hard to see the plane. You can see, of course, the big fireball but if we take a look at an enhancement of one of the pictures, in the area right over here you can see there's a little light area. That's actually the plane and remember, it's not coming in at exactly at a perpendicular angle. It's coming in more like 45 degrees, sort of hitting almost head on from this perspective.

Again, it's the first time we've actually been able to show you exactly what it looked like when that American Airlines flight with 64 people onboard, including the five hijackers, hit the Pentagon. One hundred twenty-five people were killed at the Pentagon that day on the ground, and today the Pentagon gave a construction update. They say they're very hopeful they'll be able to get the Pentagon back and fully restored by the one year anniversary on September 11th of this year. Nic.

ROBERTSON: Jamie, we also understand today the Pentagon has released figures of the numbers of al Qaeda it believes have been killed, also revised up its estimate of al Qaeda in the area. Any indications from the Pentagon how much longer Operation Anaconda will last?

MCINTYRE: Well, unofficially the Pentagon is telling us that they have a pretty good level of confidence, that they believe about 450 al Qaeda have been killed in this area in Operation Anaconda. They think it might be as high as 650, but they can't confirm that higher number. Their new estimate or guesstimate of the level of forces in the area is now around 1,000 in the area, so 1,000 total. Subtract from that the 650 or 450 that might have been killed.

So they say they're making a lot of progress. But nevertheless, the weather is turning bad with more snow. And today, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld gave a cautious estimate of when he thinks things will be wrapped up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: It's very hard to know what's going in and out of that area. We think we have observation posts everywhere that one needs them so that people can get neither in or out, but we can't be certain of that, and there's no doubt in my mind. We know for a fact an awful lot of people have been trying to get out and haven't been making it, but we never can know if it's all the people who were trying to get out. There seems to be no inclination to surrender.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCINTYRE: Now Secretary Rumsfeld said he thinks, his best guess is that this operation will be wrapped up by this coming weekend or early next week, but he wasn't making any promises. The Pentagon is also disputing accounts that there are a large number of reinforcements going in to help the al Qaeda forces. They say it's just small numbers getting through -- Nic.

ROBERTSON: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much. When we come back, a frontline Apache pilot relives his experience.

ANNOUNCER: Next, remembering the reason why they're there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RYAN: I think of the firefighters, the rescue workers, the policemen, all those folks that went up in those towers, instead of coming down. That motivates me here every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And later, under the gun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN BURNHAM, HOSTAGE: Martin Burnham and my wife, Gracia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: New video of an American couple held captive in the Philippines. Go in-depth on the war on terrorism at cnn.com. We have reports from our correspondents around the globe, a timeline of events and a gallery of photos and sound. For AOL users, the keyword is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: The Apache is the U.S. Army's most advanced attack helicopter. It can fly up to 189 miles per hour and its arsenal of weapons includes the Hellfire anti-tank missile. The Apache first saw combat in 1989 in Panama.

ROBERTSON: Captain Bill Ryan is an Apache pilot and despite injuries already received in Operation Anaconda, is still flying missions. CNN's Martin Savidge talked to him to find out more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: In the first hours, the first day, it was difficult. It may not have gone exactly according to plan, but there were also a number of heroes that stepped forward and did the job that had to be done, and we are joined by one of them right now. This is Captain Bill Ryan. He is with Taskforce Falcon, that's correct, sir?

RYAN: Taskforce Talon, sir.

SAVIDGE: Talon, thank you very much. But the most important thing is you are an Apache helicopter pilot, and that was one of the helicopters that took fire and you, yourself, were wounded on that day. Let's go back to D-Day. Tell us how it started and when did the trouble begin?

RYAN: Sir, I'd say the trouble really started probably about 15 minutes or so after we arrived and as (UNINTELLIGIBLE) landed on the ground and the soldiers started to egress, they went straight to their fighting positions or blocking positions. About 15 minutes into that, we experienced the first round of enemy fire, both from small arms and a little heavier caliber fire, really around all parts of the objective. So it happened rather quickly.

SAVIDGE: Were you surprised by the amount of fire that you received?

RYAN: I think I was initially, absolutely. I didn't really expect that much right off the bat. But we adjusted to it well, tried to accomplish our mission, because I was there to provide the best support we can for the infantry as they move to their positions. But it did surprise us up front a little bit.

SAVIDGE: I've seen you at work out there. You were actually flying the times when we were out there on the frontlines. This is not just some simple helicopter that you fly, is it?

RYAN: No, sir. It's not a simply helicopter by any means. It's a very advanced aircraft and a very fine aircraft for what we're doing over here, absolutely.

SAVIDGE: How did you receive the wounds that you did? What happened?

RYAN: We - I received fire through the right side of the aircraft through the canopy as I was executing a maneuver. The small arms fire or larger caliber fire actually came through the side of the cockpit there, the side of the canopy on the right side. It got deflected where the canopy kind of meets the door there and deflected upwards, glanced off my face and then went out the top glass there at the top of the aircraft.

SAVIDGE: What were you thinking? What was going through your mind?

RYAN: It was traumatic at first a little bit, and kind of look around, make sure you still have everything that you started with, the aircraft is OK and still to fly, obviously. Just assess the situation, seeing how you are and then go on and move out, keep fighting.

SAVIDGE: And that was the goal. You wanted to fight. You wanted to continue. You couldn't, but you wanted to get back.

RYAN: Absolutely, we wanted to continue. Didn't really know what the status of the aircraft was at that time. We didn't know what else had gotten hit on the airplane. So we egressed it back to the forward arming refueling point, where we could assess the situation a little further.

SAVIDGE: Do you think the Apaches were targeted, were focused upon because of the value they bring to the fight?

RYAN: I would think so. I think that's probably one of the objectives for those enemy forces as any aircraft really I think, because they know they bring a lot to the fight.

SAVIDGE: There have been some reports that the al Qaeda, Taliban, were using these RPGs, the rocket propelled grenade, as a sort of flack device.

RYAN: That's correct, and what it does is it creates an effect where it actually doesn't hit the aircraft per se, but it still can provide some damage to any aircraft because it sends, you know, a large - obviously it's a shock basically to the aircraft, which can damage, you know, any number of components if fired that way.

SAVIDGE: Have you been back in the air since?

RYAN: I haven't been back in the air since.

SAVIDGE: I'm sure you're a little more motivated?

RYAN: I am. I'm very motivated and very happy to be back in the air and getting back into the fight to contribute to this great taskforce.

SAVIDGE: And in light of September 11th for you, what is it like to be here?

RYAN: It's a great experience for me. I'm honored to be here with all these great soldiers, the finest soldiers in the world. For me, I think back and I'm still a little angry personally about it. I think of the firefighters, the rescue workers, the policemen, all those folks that went up in those towers instead of coming down, and for me, that motivates me here every day. So that's kind of how it is personally for me. But I'm honored to be here as part of the taskforce and it's s great bunch of soldiers here that we have doing this mission.

SAVIDGE: Captain Ryan, we're honored to have the pleasure to talk to you.

RYAN: Thank you, sir. It's good to talk to you.

SAVIDGE: Glad you made it back safe.

RYAN: Thank you.

SAVIDGE: There are a lot of soldiers and a lot of pilots who say that they are motivated because of what happened on September 11th. It's what keeps them out in the air or if it keeps them on the ground, working and fighting against the Taliban and al Qaeda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROBERTSON: Well, an update as we go through the show. As we've been standing here listening to Martin Savidge, here on the ground here in Gardez, we've been able to feel the ground shake as bombs have been falling in the mountains not far away. When we come back, a rare glimpse at an American couple held hostage in the Philippines. ANNOUNCER: Coming up, Americans held hostage. We'll get a rare glimpse of a couple kidnapped by Islamic terrorists, deep in the jungles of the Philippines.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: Abu Sayyaf is a militant Muslim terrorist organization based in the southern Philippines, fighting for an Islamic state in that area. The group is blamed for assassinations, bombings and kidnappings. Abu Sayyaf is linked to al Qaeda.

ROBERTSON: A videotape has just been released of an American couple held hostage in the Philippines. Martin and Gracia Burnham were seized by rebels from the Abu Sayyaf group last year in the southern Philippines. In the video Martin Burnham reads a statement from the group that are linked with al Qaeda. CNN's Atika Schubert has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A rare glimpse of Martin and Gracia Burnham, held hostage now for more than 10 months, their captors, a group called Abu Sayyaf, sending a message confirming their link to the terrorist group al Qaeda. The Burnham's statement appeared to have been written for them.

BURNHAM: I, Martin Burnham and my wife Gracia, both U.S. citizens were taken as captives on May 27, 2001 at the Los Palmas (ph) Beach Resort in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for the Abu Sayyaf group. They are targeting U.S., European and citizens of other Western nations for the following reasons.

SCHUBERT: The statement listed five complaints against America, presence of U.S. troops and businesses in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's most sacred places, U.S. support of Israel, sanctions against Iraq and Libya, and what the statement called America's indifference to the world's Muslim minorities, particularly in the Philippines.

No demands were issued, but the rebel released video leaves little doubt of the Abu Sayyaf's desire to ratchet up the pressure on U.S. efforts to win the Burnham's release, a worrying comparison to killed U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl.

The Burnham's were last seen in a videotape in November of last year. That was several months after the Abu Sayyaf beheaded a third American hostage.

Since then, U.S. forces have arrived on Philippine soil to advise local fighters in what's being called Phase 2 of the War on Terror. Their mission to train and equip Philippine troops combating the Abu Sayyaf, and perhaps to win the release of the Burnhams.

Atika Schubert, CNN, Zamboanga City, Philippines.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ROBERTSON: The sun is just beginning to rise here on Friday morning, and Thursday's storm appears to be lifting, but it has likely brought heavy snows on the high peaks not far from here. In a few hours, we hope to get new information from Afghan fighters just returning from the frontlines. Thank you for watching. I'm Nic Robertson.

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