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CNN Sunday Morning

'Enduring Freedom' Enters Next Phase

Aired October 21, 2001 - 10:15   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Operation "Enduring Freedom" has entered a new phase. United States Special Forces conducted their first mission that we know of inside Afghanistan, and the Pentagon says it was a success.

More now from CNN Military Affairs Correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the first U.S. paratroop assault since the 1989 Panama invasion, more than 100 U.S. army rangers descended on an airfield near Kandahar in Taliban controlled southern Afghanistan. In this infrared video taken by an escort plane three EC-130s can be seen disgorging more than 40 soldiers each.

The first acknowledged U.S. ground operation in Afghanistan had two primary objectives; search and secure the airfield and raid one of the compounds of Taliban leader Mohamed Omar that has not yet been bombed from the air. The elite commandos gathered intelligence from the buildings, destroyed a small cash of weapons but captured no prisoners.

GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN: We did not expect to find significant Taliban leadership at these locations. We of course were hoping we would but we did not expect it and we did not find a senior Taliban or al Qaeda leadership.

MCINTYRE: The U.S. Special Forces who sources say had been rehearsing their mission for days left heavily armed but met only light resistance according to the Pentagon who says the only casualties were on the Taliban side. The troops also left behind calling cards, printed fliers with the words "Freedom Endures" over a photograph of firemen raising an American flag at the World Trade Center.

MYERS: One of the messages should be that we are capable of -- at a time of our choosing conducting the kind of operations we want to -- we want to conduct.

MCINTYRE: Myers insists the mission was a success and that its primary objective was to bring back intelligence, which is now being evaluated. The Pentagon won't say how the U.S. troops were extracted after their several-hour mission but with control of the airfield, the same planes that brought them in could safely land to take them out.

(on camera): The mission served two other important purposes building the confidence of U.S. troops that they can operate in the Taliban's backyard and sending a pointed message to the Taliban that they never know when U.S. commandos may show up uninvited.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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