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CNN Sunday Morning

Marines Perform Secretive Missions in Afghanistan

Aired January 06, 2002 - 10:10   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to America's war on terrorism. More detainees arrived overnight in Afghanistan. The U.S. is hoping that one detainee, a high-ranking Taliban member will help lead to the capture of Osama bin Laden.

CNN's Bill Hemmer has more from Kandahar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Late Saturday night, the U.S. Marines here in Kandahar went out on yet another mission. Around the airstrip here, we noticed quite a bit of activity. In total, at least 12 helicopters loaded up with Marines took off somewhere in southern Afghanistan. Where, we don't know, but we know they did not go far, because they were not gone very long.

At this point, the Marines are staying quite tight-lipped on this mission. They say there's always a possibility they may return to these areas hit last night or go to other areas in the vicinity. And certainly they say, they do not want to tip the hand of anyone involved in al Qaeda or Taliban here in southern Afghanistan.

On another front, Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, was turned over on Saturday to U.S. authorities. Currently, he's being held in the Arabia Sea aboard the USS Bataan.

In addition, on that same ship are eight other prisoners, including the American 20-year-old John Walker. U.S. intelligence officials say they'd like to get from Zaeef more information on the Taliban founder, Mullah Mohammed Omar, and where he may be hiding at this point.

There is another side of Pakistani cooperation also this past week, when Ibn Al-Shaykh al-Libi, the man the U.S. accuses of running the terrorism training camps here in Afghanistan. He now is being held at the detention facility in Kandahar, one of 300 on hand, and the Marines say at some time soon, they could take as many as 500 if indeed that many come here.

Bill Hemmer, CNN, Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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