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American Morning

Army Has Taken Over Command Duties at Kandahar Airport; Pentagon Suspends Transfer of War Combatants to Guantanamo Bay Facility

Aired January 24, 2002 - 08:33   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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: The army has taken over command duties at Kandahar Airport, as you know, where the U.S. has been detaining hundreds of Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters, and that base is still a very dangerous spot for CNN's Martin Savidge, went out to the front lines with the troops responsible for keeping the place safe.

He joins us now -- Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly where we are, the frontlines, the point of the sphere for the military presence of U.S. forces here at the Kandahar Airport. The sun just now setting, that means the dangerous time sets in. The base goes on 100 percent alert. In the background you may see, perhaps in the distance there, the lights, not the lights of the airport terminal itself, but the lights that are shining on the detainees. That is, the detention center. It is illuminated all night long, the guards watching from the watch towers.

From this point, though, it is Charlie company, 2187, 101st Airborne. Rockets on! You got say that when you say 101st airbone. We are actually standing atop the observation post.

If you want to just sort of have a look around here, we've got Andre, we've Jason, we've got James. They're watching our backs. They also protect us while we sleep. This is affectionately known, the observation post that we're standing on, as "Luman's Lounge." The reason it's known that way is because of the sergeant here. He is the platoon leader.

I'm kind of wrapped up here. You've going to have to come to me, sergeant, if you would. This is Kelly Jack Luman.

And tell us what it's like to be out here as the sun sets, when it really becomes a dicey place?

SGT. KELLY JACK LUMAN, U.S. ARMY: Yes, it does, Martin, and it is a privilege to be here, especially with the soldiers that America ought to be proud for the soldiers they have out here, because they're standing tall, and they're ain't nothing going to come through these lines, and they ought to be proud of them.

SAVIDGE: One of the things we should point out to you, this particular spot, only a little over two weeks ago, they had a fairly intense firefight that lasted only about 10 minutes. There was gunfire coming in, tracer bullets. There was a lot of suppressing fire that went out of here. Nobody hurt on this side of the line. Enemy territory in the eyes of the U.S. Army is only about maybe 200 yards away. Nobody hurt here. They did find blood trails on the other side.

And then, about 400 yards away from this particular position, a young U.S. Marine lost his leg due to a land mine. That was several weeks ago. They believe they've got rid of all the land mines. At least they think they have, and they worked very hard. The asphalt out here, which is also not that far away, is going to become very busy. Darkness is when the airplanes come in. But as we point out, it is also when people have been probing the perimeter, during it on a regular basis. Some just curious, some very much trying to map out the U.S. positions here.

Back to you.

COOPER: All right, Martin Savidge in Kandahar. I'm sure you sleep well knowing that the 101st airborne has your back.

Thanks very much, Martin -- Paula.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The detainees who are now at Guantanamo started their journey at Kandahar, and the U.S. officials who at the Naval base in Cuba have started to interrogate the 159 prisoners at Camp X-Ray. Just yesterday, the Pentagon suspended transfer of any more war combatants from Afghanistan to the facility until the military has had time to construct more temporary cages.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr joins us now with an update this morning.

Good morning, Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Well, military officials tell us it was an exciting morning sort of for the detainees at Camp X-Ray. Shortly after 5:20 this morning, a U.S. Navy lieutenant, who is a Muslim chaplain, announced the first call to morning prayers for the 158 Taliban and Al Qaeda detainees at the camp. This generated a lot of interest amongst the detainees, who so far have been praying on their own.

After the prayers, the Navy lieutenant who is A Muslim cleric, walked up and down the rows of cells, we are told, and exchanged some initial words with the detainees. He is expected to stay at Camp X- Ray for some time, advising the military on Muslim religious practices.

Military officials also tell us that many of the detainees have expressed a lot of concern and a lot of emotion about trying to maintain and reach basic contact with their families.

So the Red Cross now has taken a number of requests from the detainees to have -- to contact their families, to exchange messages back and forth so their families know where they are, and that process, we are told, is now under way.

There are a number of additional medical issues. We have learned that yesterday two detainees underwent surgery at the Naval hospital. We don't know anything more about their condition at the moment. But we have now also been told that two other detainees underwent surgery on Tuesday. This was for infected bullet wounds and setting of broken bones. They were discharged from the hospital after a one-night stay, and they are back in their cells. That makes five surgeries so far amongst the detainee population.

In addition, there are two other detainees who arrived at Camp X- Ray as leg amputees. They were medically evaluated. It was determined they could be in the detainee prison population, so they are not in the hospital. The soldiers at Camp X-Ray are very aware of the international criticism, and they are trying to let people know that the detainees are getting medical attention -- Paula.

ZAHN: And, Barbara, does that international criticism have anything to do with the Pentagon's move to suspend the further transfer of war combatants to Guantanamo?

STARR: Well, it certainly does in one respect. They were headed toward the new policy of doubling up in cells, two men to a cell. It's clear that the Red Cross had advised the Pentagon not to do that, that that would lead to overcrowding conditions, humanitarian and security problems. So they have suspended the transfer for the moment. They tell us 60 more cells will be finished by later today, and that they hope to begin additional transfers very shortly.

ZAHN: Barbara Starr, thank you very much for that update. Appreciate it.

STARR: You're welcome.

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