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American Morning

Daily Bombing Runs Quite Heavy in Kandahar Area

Aired November 08, 2001 - 10:20   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: Let's get to the military front now, straight to the Pentagon and Bob Franken to see what's moving on this morning.

Bob, morning to you.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

Of course, it's about that time when we start getting some assessments of the daily bombing runs, and they were quite heavy in the Kandahar area. The Kandahar area of course in Afghanistan is the, in effect, the headquarters, the center for the Taliban and in its complete existence. The capital is Kabul. There was huge bomb blasts this morning, indications that they're still using the so-called daisy cutters, those 15,000-pound bombs we have been hearing about the last couple of days, which are horrific in their effect, sending out flames, can incinerate anything up to 600 yards away. That level of bombing.

Taliban positions continue to be bombed. We have been told by officials they are trying, to -- quote -- "clear the battlefield for some sort of military action on the ground, either U.S. troops, or more likely the emphasis here is on the allies of the United States, the Northern Alliance, on the ground there.

Now Here at the Pentagon, the person who is in charge of conducting the war, who was the CinC, the commander in chief, of the Central Command, which has responsibility for that part of the world.

Tommy Franks is in the Pentagon right now, saw him in the hall just a couple of moments ago. It's going to quite a little media event coming up in about an hour and a half, and that is going to be the Pentagon briefing today. I know, Bill, this is always of great interest to you. Not only going to be Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld today, but General Franks.

Now General Franks is somebody who is considered by media standards to be something of a recluse, although we have seen him a couple of times recently. But he is going to, in fact, have a endure or participate in, in any case, a Pentagon briefing at noon eastern time. He will be talking it reporters who have many questions about the conduct of the war and whether it has gone successfully as the Pentagon would like to present -- Bill.

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

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