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CNN Sunday Morning

Rumsfeld Visits Bagram Air Base

Aired December 16, 2001 - 08:05   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's check in now at the Pentagon, where U.S. military leaders say an al Qaeda guerrilla camp in Southern Afghanistan may yield critical insights into the group's chemical, biological and nuclear abilities.

CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now with the latest.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, that camp -- that al Qaeda training camp -- is known as Tarnak Farms, and it was located -- it is located -- southwest of the Marines' desert outpost at Camp Rhino.

Now Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who happens to be in the region right now at Bagram Air Force Base near Kabul, said they have found a good deal of documentation and other items there; that the take was, quote, "large and significant" and that we might find something interesting.

The material that was found there is being examined for chemical, biological and radiation content. Now the Pentagon has already examined dozens of suspect sites throughout Afghanistan and has so far found no evidence that weapons of mass destruction were being produced.

Now, this is Secretary Rumsfeld's first trip to the country of Afghanistan since the 10-week campaign against terrorism began. He has already met there with interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai. The defense secretary saying that he believes that it's important to meet with the country's new leaders about what has been done and what is still to be done.

And, of course, a major component of the secretary's trip is really saying thank you to the troops in the region, special operations forces; also, members of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division. The secretary saying he wants to meet with, quote, "real people who are doing real things, that are part of our plan."

And one interesting portion of that special operations forces officer showed the defense secretary a saddle that he used when he was riding on horseback with the Northern Alliance and calling in those airstrikes during the campaign.

Back to you. PHILLIPS: Kathleen, what about these reports that we've been receiving or hearing about that al Qaeda forces have been driven from the Tora Bora region? Is the Pentagon responding to that?

KOCH: Kyra, we have talked with the central command here at the Pentagon, and at this point they can't confirm that. We do know that there are U.S. special operation forces who have been working in that Tora Bora region with the Eastern Alliance, helping coordinate the -- the airstrikes and the attacks against the al Qaeda fighters. But, at this point, the Pentagon says it has no direct confirmation of that.

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Kathleen Koch live from the Pentagon, thank you very much.

KOCH: You're welcome.

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