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American Morning

U.S. Concentrates Bombing on Taliban Front Lines

Aired November 01, 2001 - 10:09   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: Now to the military front. We were told yesterday eyewitnesses on the ground in northern Afghanistan were saying that they had seen the most fierce attacks yet from U.S. planes overhead. And apparently that continues today.

Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon now with more now. Kathleen, good morning.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Miles (sic).

And to help carry on that campaign, the U.S. military is mobilizing even more members of the reserves. Some 515 Army reservists and Army National Guard members as well as 208 naval reservists are being mobilized. That, as you pointed out, at the same time as the U.S. airstrikes against Afghanistan intensify, reach a new level.

Just yesterday there were some 67 sorties, which included carpet- bombing. That by some 70 U.S. strike aircraft. The focus is shifting though, now, to the Taliban troops which are dug in along the front lines facing the Northern Alliance opposition troops. The targets in this latest set of strikes included caves, tunnels and support personnel. The Pentagon showing to the U.S. media video yesterday of U.S. strikes on a couple of different sites. One a column of Taliban armored vehicles and also an al Qaeda training camp.

Now, the U.S. military insists that this -- this punishment that the Taliban has come under is taking a toll on its military capabilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. JOHN STUFFLEBEEM, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: I can say that their command and control has been cut, severely degraded. They're having extreme difficulty communicating one to another. Mullah Omar is still their leader, their commander. They are still attempting to be able to communicate with Mullah Omar. They are also trying to be resupplied and reinforced. And they're having difficulties in all of that. We believe that that puts a terrific amount of stress on their military capability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, the Taliban claims that U.S. bombs hit a small Red Cross clinic in Kandahar yesterday -- Wednesday. But Pentagon spokeswoman Tori Clark (ph) calls that a terrorist target. And she says, quote, "we hit what we intended to hit" -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon. Kathleen, thanks.

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