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American Morning

U.S. Asking Turkey to Send Soldiers into Afghanistan; Eyewitnesses Saying Bombing Most Intense They Have Seen to Date

Aired October 31, 2001 - 10:19   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The latest on the U.S. military battle plan that is rooted largely in diplomacy. CNN learned the U.S. is asking Turkey to send soldiers into Afghanistan. That would be a significant symbol from a Muslim country. Also, eyewitnesses within the ground saying the bombing now the most intense they have seen to date.

Bob Franken live at the Pentagon watching these and a whole lot more.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.

As far as Turkey is concerned, they are really vague over Turkey, the government is being vague, because of the sensitivity, the sensitivity of course that Turkey is a Muslim nation, and even the request for 50 troops is something that would be dealt with extreme sensitivity. Turkey is a NATO member, and has already declared its support by the effort by the United States, but this is something that would be concrete and be very politically sensitive in the country.

As for the bombing, it has increased in intensity. And part of the reason for that, according to Pentagon officials, is the placement of some U.S. troops, a few of them, a modest number, to quote the defense secretary, on the ground there, helping to direct the bombing attacks, thereby increasing effectiveness, because they can more effectively spot the targets that need to be bombed. There has an increase, and they are going much more successfully, according to officials here, after the Taliban forces themselves.

HEMMER: Bob, if I could shake a few things down with you. Earlier in the week, the Pentagon, they said, it kind of slipped in, it caught my attention. They said there are fewer and fewer preplanned targets on the ground. What does that mean essentially from the military standpoint?

FRANKEN: That they just about destroyed everything in place in terms of the infrastructure. Of course they have to worry that some of it can be rebuilt, but as far as the not so sophisticated surface- to-air missile encampments, the barracks, et cetera, they've really done just about everything they can, the United States forces have, in bombing those. But emphasis in last several days, in fact, in the last couple of weeks, has been on what they call "emerging targets." That is to say, if a tank pops up, there will be someone there to try and blow it up off the face of the earth. Or if there are planes to do any bombing, the plans are to go after the combat forces themselves, the Taliban forces.

HEMMER: Bob, are you picking up anything at the Pentagon regarding the eyewitnesses on the ground in Afghanistan, who say the bombing is more intense than they have seen it to date.

FRANKEN: Yes, quite frankly, from many of the reporters on the ground there and the Pentagon, admits that there has been a much more ferocious emphasis, particularly in the last couple of days, in going off forces. That gets us back to the report there are a few U.S. combat people on the ground who are giving them more precise information about where to go.

HEMMER: Bob, I don't mean to split hairs, but Donald Rumsfeld yesterday day called them ground troops, someone else called them combat troops. In this respect, is there a difference, or not?

FRANKEN: They are ground combat troops.

HEMMER: Fair enough. Thank you, Bob.

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