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American Morning
Bagram Bombing May Resume
Aired December 31, 2001 - 7:04 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn now to those hints that Bill mentioned coming from the White House sources that bombing may resume soon around the Bagram area. There are some suggestions that Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar may be in that area.
Let's talk about this with one of our military analysts, retired Major Gen. Don Shepperd joins us from Washington. Good to see you again. Happy new year to you.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), U.S. AIR FORCE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Same to you, Leon.
HARRIS: What do you make of these hints that Bill mentioned coming from the White House sources about this renewed bombing campaign around that area? What do you think?
SHEPPERD: Well, it's very strange that they would be telling us in advance about any military operation. They've been very close- mouthed about this so far. But it's very logical to me. First of all, air power is on call across that country every day, 60 to 70 sorties or flights airborne. And, of course, you've also got the Marines and special forces, the Marines at Kandahar special forces spread all over the area.
Gen. Franks has a lot of options and clearly, although we've not heard the name Mullah Omar very much, it's always bin Laden, the rumors are that he's in Helmand or Jawzjan Province and now he could be in the Bagram area in the, back in the Kabul area.
So wherever he is we're listening, we're watching and we're looking for the remaining al Qaeda and Taliban cells and when we find them, there'll be military action against them. You can bet on that, Leon.
HARRIS: Yes. Yes, you're right. Let's get back to the point you were making just a moment ago about bin Laden. That's the name that we have been bouncing around so much in the media, the searchers looking for him. What do you make, then, of the comments that we've heard over the weekend from some senators who are saying things like this war by proxy, using Northern Alliance troops there on the ground and Pakistani troops in Pakistan to guard the border and not using U.S. troops to do any of this work may have actually allowed bin Laden to escape? What do you make of that? SHEPPERD: Well, it's possibly true. Now, remember, there's not a huge number of U.S. forces in the country itself, and that's by design. Now, it's very easy to get military forces in there. But if you did what you -- what was originally announced, which was we're going to send a whole bunch of Marines into the Tora Bora area, you would have had to have established support bases. When you get those Marines in there you have to resupply them, protect them, reinforce them if they come under attack.
So the decision evidently was made, with all the information available, to let the Eastern Alliance do it and then use special forces as the main. And it looks like -- we've been cleaning up that area, it doesn't look like anyone is convinced that bin Laden or significant al Qaeda is remaining in the Tora Bora area.
So as I look back, I think it is very smart. Of course, if you had rushed large numbers of forces in there, which is something we've been trying to avoid, maybe you could have kept more people from escaping. But it looks like it's come out all right so far, except we don't have the big prize yet, Leon.
HARRIS: And, of course, we know about hindsight being 20-20, as well.
SHEPPERD: Right.
HARRIS: Let me ask you once again, getting back to Bill's report about the Marines there on station in Kandahar, word about them being transitioned out and the 101st Airborne coming in from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is there going to be a change in mission for these troops when they do arrive there?
SHEPPERD: A little bit of change in mission. Now remember, this is standard joint doctrine. The marines go in and seize objectives. They're lightly armed and the idea is for them to sustain themselves for about 30 days. They've already been in there more than that since they came in in November. And then they hand it off to heavier forces, normally the U.S. army.
As you expand the forces, you've got the ability to do more missions in more places. Also, you will make significant emphasis on humanitarian aid coming in and also support to the ISF, the ISAF, the international security assistance force that will be establishing law and order across the country.
So a big change in mission, really, as the marines step aside and the army comes in.
HARRIS: Finally, about that ISAF, that security assistance force you just mentioned there, are you satisfied that the rules of engagement, as they're so-called, have been clearly enough spelled out?
SHEPPERD: We wouldn't put forces in there unless they were spelled out and we were convinced that the troops knew what they were doing and what they could expect. The important thing is they will need support. They're not huge in numbers, right now reportedly 3,000, mainly in the Kabul area starting and then spreading across the country.
But wherever they go they must be able to get support so if they come under attack they can be reinforced. I think they'll have the rules of engagement they need to operate with -- Leon.
HARRIS: Major Gen. Don Shepperd, thank you very much. Appreciate it. Always good to see you and have a good holiday.
SHEPPERD: Certainly.
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