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CNN Sunday Morning

U.S., Britain to Deploy More Troops to Afghanistan

Aired November 11, 2001 - 09:10   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: Now here's Kathleen Koch with the Pentagon's perspective -- Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jeanne, we have word now on more U.S. forces headed to the region, as well as more forces from U.S. allies now on the ground in Afghanistan. First of all, the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier battle group will be leaving San Diego Monday. Now, that's a month and a half early, but it will be departing as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

It's made up of some 10 ships and submarines, and carried about 8,500 sailors and Marines. Their deployment comes at the same time as Great Britain is confirming that British troops are now on the ground in Northern Afghanistan.

Great Britain says that they are performing more or less the same function as U.S. Special Forces -- some 100 U.S. Special Forces on the ground there, both advising and helping the Northern Alliance opposition troops. No word, though, from Great Britain on exactly how many ground forces they have deployed in Northern Afghanistan.

And Jeanne, at this point, we have no comment from the Pentagon, no confirmation on these reported gains on the part of the Northern Alliance. The Pentagon had been expressing some doubt, even, about the opposition's ability to hang on to Mazar-e Sharif. That victory there on Friday came after very fierce fighting.

So as the Northern Alliance reportedly is pushing toward Kabul, the Taliban forces there are deeply entrenched. The U.S. has requested that the Northern Alliance not take Kabul. So it's expected that any push in that direction will certainly stop short of the capital.

Of course, we'll likely hear more on this later this morning when Wolf Blitzer interviews National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on "LATE EDITION" -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Kathleen, a report in the "New York Times" this morning that the U.S. has identified some sites in Afghanistan where the Taliban may be producing chemical weapons. Any reaction to that, comment on that, from the Pentagon?

KOCH: The Pentagon is looking into that report, but has no comment on it yet. Basically, there were three sites, indeed, that were outlined: a fertilizer factory in Mazar-e Sharif, a small research laboratory east of Jalalabad, and also an anthrax vaccine factory in Kabul.

According to the "New York Times," the U.S. military is keeping its eye on these facilities, but has not bombed them, perhaps for a variety of reasons -- because bombing potential biological or chemical sites is very problematic. You can potentially release toxins into the air that could harm civilians, harm the opposition forces, or your very own troops there.

Also, you run the risk of, if the facility is not actually producing these items, that you could be accused of bombing a civilian plant. That's exactly what happened back in 1998 when President Clinton ordered a pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, Sudan bombed. The U.S. had intelligence that that may have been used by Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda network, but that intelligence was wrong -- Jeanne.

MESERVE: Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon this morning, thanks.

KOCH: You're welcome.

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