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CNN Sunday Morning

25 New Detainees are in U.S. Custody

Aired January 06, 2002 - 09:15   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: On the war front in Afghanistan, 25 new detainees are in U.S. custody in Kandahar, and a high-profile Taliban official is being held on a U.S. ship.

CNN's Bill Hemmer's in Kandahar with the latest.

Good evening to you, Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, thank you very much. Some extraordinary signs we've seen over the past couple of days between Islamabad and Washington in the cooperation the Pakistanis have had with the U.S. and its coalition in the War on Terrorism.

First, a case in point. Abdul Salam Zaeef, he was the former Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan. Yesterday, Islamabad handed him back to Afghanistan. He's now in U.S. custody.

This was the man who was basically the voice and the face of the Taliban. We saw him in so many press briefings in the early part of this campaign, and many times he was the contentious voice too of the Taliban, defending the Taliban position.

Right now, Zaeef being held in the Arabian Sea on board the USS Bataan. That's the same ship where the American, 20-year-old John Walker, is being held. Eight others, including Walker being held there.

And again, intelligence sources would love to know from Zaeef the whereabouts of Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban founder who apparently has slipped the net somewhere in northern Helmand Province over the past couple of days.

If there's any information they can glean on the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, that will be front and center as well. Again, Zaeef right now in U.S. custody.

Another man in U.S. custody, where the Pakistani had involvement, Ibn Al-Shaykh al-Libi. He is the man the U.S. accuses of running the terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. He's being held here in Kandahar. The White House had him on their Top 12 wanted list in terms of the al Qaeda network, and he too apparently turned over by the Pakistanis.

And again, late last night, 25 more detainees came here to Kandahar. All 25 being held first in Pakistan, later handed over to here. In total now, 300 on deck in Kandahar. The marines say they can handle as many as 500 more over the coming days and weeks, and they say they will be ready and able to do that if indeed more come here to southern Afghanistan.

On another note, late last night we noticed an awful lot of activity out on the runway. Another marine mission was underway. In total a dozen marine helicopters loaded up with marines took of somewhere here in southern Afghanistan. We're not told where, but we do know they did not go far because that mission did not last very long.

Also, the marines keeping this information pretty close to their vest right now. They indicate that the targets they were going after last night may be hit again sometime very soon. Other targets also in the area may be hit as well, and certainly they say, they do not want to tip the hand of Taliban or al Qaeda elements that may be operating in that area.

With regard to the missions, we saw one also on New Year's Eve. That involved 200 marines. This one last night not nearly as large, and we are waiting still to see what intelligence they may have gathered on that mission. The marines stress that there are ongoing missions, almost on a daily basis out of this airport. Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Bill Hemmer once again from Kandahar. Thank you so much.

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