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CNN Sunday Morning

Rumsfeld: U.S. Has Inspected Afghan Weapons Site

Aired December 16, 2001 - 07:14   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the military made a significant find at a suspected al Qaeda weapons development site, as we told you in the last segment. Our CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre, we believe, is on the other end of the line right now.

Jamie, are you there?

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Miles, I am if the satellite holds up. I think it's faded just as you were going to come to me before.

Here's the story with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. He's just come back here to the Bagram Air Base to meet with members of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division to thank them for the job they're doing under quite Spartan conditions here at this former Soviet airbase located in Afghanistan.

Earlier today, Rumsfeld did say that U.S. forces had inspected one of a number of sites it suspected of being places where al Qaeda forces were trying to develop chemical, biological and perhaps even radiological weapons. And their large amount of material have been taken away for testing and documents to be examined by intelligence experts.

But mostly, today has been a day of thanks. Rumsfeld has been here thanking the troops for the work they're doing. And he also met with Hamid Karzai who will be the new leader of the interim government of Afghanistan. In a meeting here, in a very battered shelter at the airport, Karzai thanking Rumsfeld for the American intervention, saying it liberated his country for a second time and Rumsfeld in response reassuring Karzai that the United States has not territorial designs on Afghanistan. He said that the sole purpose for the United States intervention was to root out terrorism and to stop terrorists from being able to operate from here.

Just after he finishes talking to the troops here, Secretary Rumsfeld will return to Taplessi (ph), Georgia and then stop at the NATO defense ministers meeting before going back to Washington -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Jamie, before you get away and hopefully the satellite will hold up for this. The AP is reporting this morning that Eastern Alliance fighters have gotten all of the al Qaeda positions in the Tora Bora region. I'm not sure if that report has filtered to you and Mr. Rumsfeld party, but I'm curious if you had heard anything along those lines.

MCINTYRE: We've heard the reports. I'm sure if the Secretary heard them. He was off being briefed though, just before he came back here, just a few moments ago to talk to the troops. So he may have gotten an update. The last report he gave us still had fierce fighting and he was describing the amount of ordinates the United States was still dropping as they were continuing that offensive.

So in the next hour or so, we'll try to see if we can get to him and get some -- see if he's gotten a update, get some reaction and get it back to you.

O'BRIEN: All right. What's next on the itinerary for the Defense Secretary?

MCINTYRE: Well, after he finishes talking to the troops here, he will be -- he will be going back to Georgia. He's not going to stay the night in Afghanistan. This visit to Afghanistan was not announced ahead of time for security reasons. But he will then stop at the NATO defense ministers meeting to discuss the future of Afghanistan and other issues before coming back to the United States.

O'BRIEN: All right, thanks very much. CNN's Jamie McIntyre at Bagram.

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