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American Morning

Pentagon Is Pleased and Concerned As Northern Alliance Takes Kabul; Taliban Run For Kandahar to Regroup

Aired November 13, 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: In the meantime, though, quickly to the Pentagon for that fast action on the ground. The military of the Northern Alliance moving throughout the country in Afghanistan.

Jonathan Aiken watching things from the Pentagon. With us now this morning. Jonathan, good morning.

JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill. And I think John pretty much hit the nail on the head. Caution is the by-word. Cautious pleasure probably the best way to describe the mood in this building. A senior defense -- defense official described the situation in Afghanistan as "encouraging but yet very fluid" on the ground. The U.S. far from making any commitments in concrete. We'll have more today coming up at about 2:30 Eastern time, when we hear from the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, as they brief reporters.

The situation here, is that few people are very upset about the idea of a Taliban loss. But, that adage kicks in, Bill, "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

The arrival of Northern Alliance troops into Kabul presents a different set of circumstances for U.S. planners. But overall, the secretary of the Army, Thomas White, pretty happy with what he's seen over the past 24 hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS WHITE, SECRETARY OF THE ARMY: The strategic objective is the destruction of bin Laden, the network of bin Laden in the country and the Taliban government that supported him. And so if he's headed west, that's where we're headed as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AIKEN: Now as the Alliance moves into Kabul, the next step for the U.S. defense, in terms of its preparations, will be to see what its people on the ground say. The special operations teams that have been with the Northern Alliance, even since before the days of Mazar- e-Sharif. These are the people who have helped to coordinate the Alliance attacks against the Taliban forces. They have also helped in the directing of U.S. airstrikes to make them more pinpoint, more precise. What these people on the ground say will have a lot to do with how Pentagon planners react to the situation in Kabul and south as they head toward Kandahar.

Now, just to remind you exactly what's going on here, the Alliance holds pretty much the northern part of the country, from Herat over in the western border, by Iran, north to Talaqon, up by Tajikistan and northeast and now, apparently, south to Kabul itself. The big question is what happens from Kabul south and west toward Kandahar.

If in fact, Kandahar is where Taliban forces are heading, U.S. reaction to that has to be very careful, especially in light of reports that eight international aid workers, including two Americans, may be with those Taliban forces as they head south.

There are also some reports of fighting taking place in Kandahar. Those reports, scattered and somewhat unconfirmed, but apparently, Kandahar still clearly, Bill, in the hands of the Taliban. Bill?

HEMMER: Jonathan, thanks. Jonathan Aiken at the Pentagon this morning.

More military perspective, now, and for that, back here in Atlanta, we turn to retired Air Force Major General Don Shepherd, our military analyst. General, good morning to you.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET)., CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Bill.

HEMMER: What's the strategy here right now for the Taliban? If could you pick their strategy at this point, what is it?

SHEPPERD: Their strategy is, they're in full retreat and trying to regroup. Obviously, they're retreating to the south, around the Kandahar area, which has been their traditional stronghold. But we have interdicted their -- their communications, we've interdicted their resupply. They really are in full retreat. And they're going to have to decide what they're going to do next.

HEMMER: Kamal Hyder, earlier this morning -- as we look at this map -- he was talking about this area down here as potentially being the ultimate battlefield. He has said all along the Taliban wants to fight a guerrilla war. Do you see it shaping up that way?

SHEPPERD: Possibly. That's probably what the Taliban have in mind. The problem is, we do not want to play their game. We want to concentrate our sensors in that area down there. We want to find out where the Taliban and al Qaeda are. We want to go after them without digging into a cave-by-cave or letting them occupy the high ground, while we operate in the valleys.

HEMMER: Tell us what the U.S. military does right now. They sit back and they watch this and they think and do what?

SHEPPERD: This is a sorting out period. Again, you can't apply air power real effectively, except against targets that you knew before. But as the disposition of forces changes -- as people move, as refugee columns -- you have to make sure -- develop. You have make sure that you're not shooting at friendly forces. You have to know where the enemy is. So special forces become even more important. Intelligence and the -- the concentration of your sensors into the new area, so that you can apply air power and then provide intelligence for the ground forces.

HEMMER: Quickly, want to go back to the map, and talk a little bit more more about this strategy right now. What I want to talk about, is how these -- the reports we're getting. If the Taliban troops are coming down this way from Kandahar, possibly from Herat, as well, again, Taliban troops, after Herat -- the reports we're getting -- has fallen into the hands of the Northern Alliance.

Do they then just assemble in this area and sit back and wait?

SHEPPERD: The Taliban have some decisions to make. They have several options. One of them, they can retreat and regroup and then attack and defend Kandahar. Two, they can also surrender, and three, they can haul from that area into surrounding areas, such as Pakistan. They've got to decide. But when they do that, whenever they mass, they become very lucrative targets for air power.

HEMMER: Mullah Mohammed Omar. There are some reports, again unconfirmed reports, that he has gone and fled into Pakistan. He's the leader of the Taliban, the leader of that military. As a military man yourself, what strikes you about that?

SHEPPERD: Well, it makes it very difficult for us. Because it's a logical place for him to go. Remember, we've said that no matter whether you're a terrorist or harboring terrorists, you now are going to suffer the same fete -- fate. But we cannot launch strikes within Pakistan, we have to depend upon Pakistan to do that. So this makes it more difficult for us when they leave Afghanistan.

HEMMER: I want to take a different approach right now. I want to show some images that we have taken in from parts of Afghanistan. They are gruesome, we want to let our viewers know before they show them. But these indeed are the realities of war. The U.S. has said, quite explicitly, to the Northern Alliance, to -- in other words, exercise patience right now as they move through. Easier said than done for an army on the run?

SHEPPERD: Easier said than done, especially with the heady victory under their belts after years of being shot at, and oppressed and what have you. We are exerting maximum pressure on the Northern Alliance to win the hearts and minds of the people, to bring back stability, not to kill prisoners not to do wanton killing. This is part of every war. It's very difficult, very disconcerting.

HEMMER: Major General Don Shepperd, thanks. We'll talk a bit later this hour. Many thanks for your thoughts this morning.

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