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American Morning

New Details Beginning to Emerge About Operation Anaconda

Aired March 06, 2002 - 07:02   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, just as the bodies of the seven American soldiers arrive stateside, new details are beginning to emerge today about Operation Anaconda, the largest and deadliest assault since the war in Afghanistan began.

During the past few days, CNN's Martin Savidge has been joining U.S. soldiers on the front lines, where they have seen the heaviest and most vicious fighting of the war. He is the only television reporter to travel with American troops on a combat mission in Afghanistan. He joins us now from Bagram Air Base -- good morning, Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula, and it's good to be seen, I can tell you that, after the past three days.

The Operation Anaconda that has been under way, initially when it was planned, was well described to go on for a couple of days. We were in on the initial planning, given remarkable access by U.S. military officials, as we were embedded media, meaning we were living, eating and at times right there beside the troops when they were fighting. It was an extraordinary opportunity.

Though the operation hasn't gone specifically as initially planned, that is not to say that things are falling apart or not going the way they want them to go. It is moving along and progressing well. In fact, we had an update a short while ago from the operation commander and he brings us up to speed as to where things stand at the moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAJ. GEN. F.L. HAGENBECK, CJTF MOUNTAIN COMMANDER: The battle continues. General Zia and his forces are back in the fight, as are the other Afghan generals down south from here. I will tell you that in the last 24 hours, we have killed lots, lots of al Qaeda and Taliban.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: The photographer -- that's Scott Lequettey (ph) -- and myself, we were airlifted out of the scene, the battleground, at about five o'clock this morning on a CH-47. We were to be brought out last night, but due to a mix-up, apparently, either we didn't get to the right chopper or the right chopper didn't come to us. We spent another night out in sort of a no man's land where you get a very clear view of the battle that is seesawing back and forth.

The Taliban and al Qaeda forces have no place to go. They are surrounded. But it's clear that they're not running out of options. They are willing to die for what they believe.

But never has there been any doubt on the part of the forces we were with or the (AUDIO GAP) that victory will be assured for the U.S. and the coalition.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE (voice-over): Operation Anaconda was at least a month in the planning. Three battalions of over 1,700 soldiers, including the 10th Mountain Division, the 101st Airborne, and coalition and Afghan forces, would launch a surprise attack in the area of a town in eastern Afghanistan known as Sirkankel.

Intelligence sources said it contained a large pocket of hard core al Qaeda and Taliban fighters numbering 150 to 200. But the plan ran into problems even before it lifted off. Bad weather at the objective site forced a two day delay. The first U.S. forces on the ground found that time wasn't the only thing lost. So was the advantage of surprise.

At a number of landing zones, enemy forces were already waiting, heavily armed and anxious to attack. For two days we tried to go in with a second wave of reinforcements. Both times turned back when the landing area was receiving too much fire. Finally, on a third try we made it in with a reserve battalion armed with heavy weapons and a will for revenge.

The first part of the mission, to seek out and destroy al Qaeda caves and operation centers high in the mountains above 10,000 feet. Elevation, cold and the constant threat of attack puts a triple burden on the U.S. soldier. After the caves, we pushed south to the main objective, the village of Sirkankel. Barely had U.S. forces got in position when Taliban forces attacked at dusk with automatic weapons fire and mortars. U.S. soldiers responded back with heavy suppression fire and mortars of their own.

Then came the close air support as for two days wave after wave of fighter bombers, B-52s and Apache helicopters pounded the surrounding valley round the clock. More reinforcements arrived, began dislodging the Taliban and al Qaeda forces.

The original mission was to last 72 hours. Some thought it might only take 24 hours. Instead now the operation has gone on for four days as it's clear the Taliban and al Qaeda forces with no place to run also have no plans to surrender.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: One of the big items when we were out there in the field with the troops was to keep moving, keep pushing, not to let any sort of indiscriminate gunfire, even mortar attacks, slow down the progress of trying to drive the U.S. forces south against the Taliban and al Qaeda. They're continuing to succeed there.

There's no doubt that that is overwhelming power on the part of the United States. Maybe it didn't go exactly as planned, but the morale of the soldiers out there is extremely high. Many of them, despite the risks, feel that they were glad to be there, glad to keep fighting, to strike back against what happened on September 11 -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Martin, you've said a number of things that I think are really important for us to remember. You said that these al Qaeda soldiers are running out of options and that they don't plan to surrender, that the U.S. has overwhelming force. But at the same time, are U.S. commanders confirming to you that they've been surprised by the level of resistance of these soldiers?

SAVIDGE: Well, the field commanders that we spoke to out there on the battlefield say yes, they were surprised. Initially there were some of them that were even saying it was supposed to be 72 hours, they thought it would be over in about 24 hours. And it was initially designed not to be an overwhelming force, but a strategic mission in which the U.S. and coalition forces were supporting what was going to be the main thrust made by local friendly Afghan forces.

The friendly Afghan forces did begin the operation, but then came under intensive mortar fire and had to withdraw. As a result of their withdrawal, that then freed up the al Qaeda and Taliban to focus all of their efforts on the coalition forces.

Many of those forces had gone in lightly armed because their goal was to secure what are called blocking positions or roadblocks to catch or intercept the al Qaeda as they were fleeing, not to take them head on in fortified positions with mortars, heavy machine guns and the weapons that they had at hand.

ZAHN: Well, this is certainly the closest to combat any Americans have gotten through your reporting there.

Martin Savidge, thank you very much for the update. Appreciate it.

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