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American Morning

America Strikes Back: Secretary of Defense to Visit Middle East

Aired October 31, 2001 - 11:46   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: We are getting word that the secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, will soon make a trip overseas. Where is he headed, though?

Let's check in with Bob Franken, at the Pentagon, to find out the answer on that -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know he is going to Moscow. He is going to be meeting with his counterpart, the Soviet defense minister. On the agenda is the current situation in Afghanistan, but also, we're told, the ABM Treaty. That would possibly be the very big story right now, were it not for the fact that this very important thing has been overshadowed by the current war going on over Afghanistan.

The defense secretary will visit Moscow and visit some other of the countries in the Central Asia region, the countries that are bordering Afghanistan so vital to the U.S. campaign.

We found out yesterday from the defense secretary that U.S. ground troops are operating -- a modest amount, he called it -- that have really helped, according to other defense officials, very much with the effectiveness of the bombing campaign, which is going on now with a new vengeance, the targets mainly being Taliban troops, much more so than there have been before.

As for those ground troops, the secretary of defense brought the subject up at his last briefing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We do have some military people on the ground. They are in the north, and we have had others on the ground who have come in and out on the south. But the ones that are there are doing exactly what I said. They are military- uniformed military personnel, who are assisting with resupply, with communications, liaison, with targeting, and providing the kind of very specific information, which is helpful to the air effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRANKEN: By the way, the secretary of defense and his colleagues said that the reason that there are ground troops is that they were requested by the U.S. nominal allies, the Northern Alliance -- Bill.

HEMMER: Bob, in Washington today, members of the Northern Alliance and the United Front, the opposition force for the Taliban, say Ramadan should not stop the bombing at this time. The Pakistani president indicated the same thing yesterday; he would not put a fight up on this issue. Has that issue now been put to the side?

FRANKEN: Not at all. The Pentagon is very sensitive to the concerns of Muslims, and Ramadan is a religious holiday. They have not said for sure what kind of response there is going to be when it begins, which is about the middle of the month, approximately November 17.

But the Pentagon has not given away exactly what it will do. It will probably involve the president to decide if the war effort will be hampered or if more harm is done by antagonizing Muslims. It's still a decision in the works.

HEMMER: Bob, thanks -- Bob Franken, and the Pentagon.

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