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American Morning

In Afghanistan, American Deaths So Far Have Been Small Compared to Other Wars

Aired January 09, 2002 - 07:06   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: Up front this morning, casualties from the war in Afghanistan. American deaths so far have been small compared to other wars. But while that may make it easier for some in the country to forge on it doesn't lessen the pain felt by the families of those who have died in the cause.

Thirty-one-year-old Army Sergeant First Class Nathan Chapman, who was killed on Friday, left behind his parents, two small children and a wife, who gave this interview to the army.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RENAE CHAPMAN, SERGEANT NATHAN CHAPMAN'S WIFE: He had seen so much of the world and, well, here's a for instance. He called me on the satellite phone and he said that he sees women and children being beaten with sticks just for walking down the street and a dog getting spat on. And he wasn't for any of that. He wanted to fight against that. And he didn't want any of it coming here, and it is here. And he wants to stop it. And he found a group of men like himself that were willing to do the same thing, fight the same fight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: Her husband's remains are expected to arrive this morning in Fort Lewis, Washington.

The U.S. bombing campaign has been focusing on an extensive al Qaeda training base in eastern Afghanistan. There just this week, U.S. forces captured to senior al Qaeda leaders. The U.S. is saying that still another captured al Qaeda leader is being "most cooperative." But there's no word on exactly what information the U.S. may be getting.

CNN's Bill Hemmer is standing by in Kandahar with the very latest on that and other issues as well -- good morning, Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, thank you and good evening from Kandahar.

The detainee transformation, the transfer from Kandahar to Cuba right now under way. Again, no detainees have left here in Kandahar, but we know the process is beginning right now. We also have come to learn there was a flight scheduled on Monday night. It did not leave. A flight scheduled on Tuesday night, it did not leave either.

One source here indicates that we're ready to go in Kandahar but we're waiting right now on Cuba. Another says we're just waiting on the word from above. This is how it'll happen as best as we can ascertain here in Kandahar. Giant C-17s will take off from Kandahar, will refuel somewhere, stopping somewhere not disclosed right now. And it's also possible once the detainees are on those planes they will not transfer to other planes before they get off in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

We're also told this is not one fell swoop, Paula. They're not going to take all 300 and go at one time, groups of 15 to 20 at a time. It'll take that process as long as it takes to get all the detainees they have here and in other parts of the region to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Bill Hemmer, thanks so much for that update.

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