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American Morning

Intense Bombing Over Tora Bora

Aired December 13, 2001 - 08:03   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you just described about that intense bombing over Tora Bora, and it not including just high-level bombers...

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

ZAHN: ... but also an AC-130 gunship and attack helicopters. Well, Brent Sadler has been to the battle front. He is just back. He joins us live from near Tora Bora. What can you tell us, Brent? I'm sorry we lost you in the last hour.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks. Good morning, Paula.

Well, it's been a day of clarification here after a lot of uncertainty about the possibility of a surrender of al Qaeda fighters in the mountains now in darkness behind me. No bombing right now, something of a lull at this stage.

Now, Eastern Alliance commanders had been hoping that al Qaeda might have been willing to negotiate a surrender, but after a resumption of very heavy fighting, and a continuation of heavy bombing today, that is definitely not the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SADLER (voice-over): A surrender or die ultimatum to al Qaeda is answered. The terror network opting a fight to the bitter end -- its mountain hideouts under fire from the ground and ceaseless strikes from the air, a close-up of a U.S. heavy bombing releasing its payload.

Attacks are by day and by night. Giant 15,000 pound bombs, so- called Daisy cutters, have been dropped, in the effort to destroy al Qaeda. Video of recent U.S. airstrikes on Tora Bora has been released by the Pentagon, showing, if you look closely, terror suspects running away before being blown up.

Earlier this week, Afghan fighters, America's allies, were able to follow through on the aerial bombardment, pushing back al Qaeda, overrunning this abandoned terror training camp and a network of bomb- blasted fortifications, including trenches, tunnels and caves.

Stepped-up military actions appear to coincide with deployments of Special Forces. Non-Afghans with guns, pack animals and guides spotted a week ago heading towards the action.

(on camera): A day of deteriorating weather here may actually assist Special Force operations and stealth missions, reportedly aimed at closing in on top al Qaeda leadership targets and intelligence gathering to support air and ground attacks.

(voice-over): And possibly to help locate Osama bin Laden himself, still widely presumed to be here. Why else, ask observers, would Afghan leaders offer a deal in which hundreds of al Qaeda fighters could be set free, on condition bin Laden and his top aides give in, a deal, which a resurgence of fighting has swept away? Confirmed to me by top Afghan military commander, Hazrat Ali (ph), as he directs tank fire by radio in the unlikely setting of a plowed field.

"As long as Osama and the al Qaeda do not leave these mountains," he says, "or are destroyed, we'll continue to wage this battle."

With groups of fighters lightly armed and haphazardly fed, provisions and ammunition, competing for space in one of the scores of battle wagons heading to the front.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SADLER: It's understood that those Special Forces are now deeply involved in operations on the ground. Afghan commanders are telling me that they have made advances over these past several hours.

Now, a couple of days ago, we were able to get to those advance locations, but today we haven't. A possible explanation for that is because of the intensity what Special Forces are now doing on the ground -- back to you, Paula.

ZAHN: We have been reporting that a spokesperson to Prime Minister -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is saying that they still believe Osama bin Laden still to be in Tora Bora. Just some final thoughts on that this morning before we let you go?

SADLER: That's very much the conclusion here. They've been, all along, saying that they believe 80 to 90 percent a couple of weeks ago, when we first started looking up here, that they thought bin Laden was here. And that might account for the kind of rhetoric we've heard on radio conversations in Arabic today with al Qaeda fighters reportedly telling the Jazeera news channel and CNN that they want to continue with the Jihad until the bitter end -- Paula.

ZAHN: Brent Sadler, thanks so much.

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