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American Morning

Operation Anaconda Expected to Wind Up Within Hours

Aired March 18, 2002 - 09:01   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.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: "Up Front" this morning, Operation Anaconda, 17 days and over 3,000 bombs later, the deadly battle in Eastern Afghanistan is expected to wind up within hours. Hundreds of U.S. and Canadian troops have been busy combing the hills and searching caves for survivors as the mission comes to end.

We've got late information on the operation from Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

Barbara, what can you tell us?

Good morning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Jack.

We're just getting word here of a very unique military mission, yesterday in Operation Anaconda. A team of U.S. commandos on the ground stopped and intercepted a convoy of what they believed fleeing Al Qaeda from the Operation Anaconda area. This all happened about 70 kilometers south of Gardez. This was a convoy of three vehicles full of weapons, people and ammunitions. U.S. commandos attacked the convoy on the ground. We are told there were 18 people in the three cars; 16 people were killed, one injured. One was captured. A fourth vehicle which contained a family was released.

From the military point of view, this was a very clear indication to them that there are Al Qaeda still in the area trying to get out, and this team of U.S. commandos which had been watching this convoy move for some hours, and attacked yesterday on the ground and took care of what they say was a group of fleeing Al Qaeda -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Barbara, what can you tell us about the winding down of Operation Anaconda. I asked that question in the context. We had Michael Elliot of "Time" magazine on earlier this morning, and they had a reporter just back from being with the troops during a firefight over there in the Shah-e-Kot valley. And "Time" magazine is reporting this week that we're still very, very active in that area, that special forces are on the ground, that there's still a lot of fighting going on. What are hearing there at the Pentagon?

STARR: Well, there's no doubt that U.S. forces are going to remain in this area for some time to come, according to all of our Pentagon sources. There has certainly been not a lot of fighting in recent days. They do believe that most of the Al Qaeda pockets have either been killed or are escaping as this convoy attempted to, but U.S. forces clearly will remain the region. They want to make sure that the Al Qaeda doesn't regroup and they are starting to turn their attention to other areas in Afghanistan where they believe some of these Al Qaeda may have escaped to, south of Gardez, south of this whole region where the fighting has been is an area a very high interest to the U.S. military -- Jack.

CAFFERTY: Barbara, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. Barbara Starr, live at the Pentagon.

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