Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Operation Anaconda Troops Search for Opposition

Aired March 14, 2002 - 08:02   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 though, day 13 of Operation Anaconda. Over 1,000 allied troops are still on the ground in the Shah-e-Kot Valley aggressively searching for the few remaining opposition forces. And while victory may be close, commanders say no senior al Qaeda fighters have been captured.

CNN's Martin Savidge joins us now from Bagram Air Base with the very latest -- good morning -- Martin.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Paula.

As you mentioned, Operation Anaconda now quickly closing in on the two week mark, day 13 as you pointed out there, 1,000 forces on the ground. That would mean that the numbers are down from the original friendly forces put it about 2,000, and the coalition forces are said to be doing very well, but there are indications it's also moving into a new phase. No real end in sight projected for Operation Anaconda.

We have seen, though, the insertion of some new troops, Canadian troops. That's significant, because Canadian forces have not been involved in combat operations for over 50 years. It dates back all the way to the Korean War was the last time they did this.

They are joining with the 10th Mountain Division soldiers that are already up in the area, and they are doing what is called "sensitive site exploitation." Essentially they are not fighting. They haven't had any significant fighting the last 24 hours, no casualties fortunately to report. But they are looking into those caves, investigating the Taliban and al Qaeda compounds that were quickly evacuated as forces pressed in, and they say they are finding vital information.

Also, we had a briefing from General F.L. Buster Hagenbeck. He is the overall commander of Operation Anaconda. No doubt he is very pleased with the way things have gone. And he said that to their surprise, the well-trained and suicidal enemy, as he put it -- he called them terrorist parasites -- luckily did not run when the battle began. He says as a result of that, hundreds of their most experienced killers are dead.

Well, that set up the question that I asked him: What did they know about the presence of Osama bin Laden, Mullah Mohammed Omar? Were they in the valley? Are they among those killed? Here is what the general had to say in response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. F.L. BUSTER HAGENBECK, COMMANDER, OPERATION ANACONDA: We do know that we have killed some second and third-tier level al Qaeda leadership. We have gotten that information from some of the detainees that we picked up. The big names that you and I are most familiar with, however, indications are that they were not in this valley. As we came here, we did not have indications prior to the attack that they would be here. But we have indications where they are, and I can assure you that we will track them down and get this before this is over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: General Hagenbeck says that this is not over. It won't be over until General Tommy Franks says it is over, and even then, it really won't be over, because they will continue to go after the top leadership. As General Hagenbeck put it, "If I was an al Qaeda leader, I'd sleep with one eye open." That's probably the way they are resting right now, Paula.

ZAHN: So does that imply there remains great concern that there are still remaining pockets of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters?

SAVIDGE: It does. In fact, the interim government here has expressed that there is some concern. They say they know of at least five different pockets located in southeastern Afghanistan. U.S. military officials confirmed that they do know of other places, perhaps not as significant numbers as the thousand Taliban and al Qaeda they were up against at the lower Shah-e-Kot Valley. But they know they are still out there, and they are willing to hunt them down. They have a vote, they say. They can either surrender or die. The coalition forces are happy with either outcome -- Paula.

ZAHN: Martin Savidge -- thanks for that report from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.