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CNN Sunday Morning

Afghan Detainees Provide Valuable Information

Aired January 13, 2002 - 08:01   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 get some more now in the situation in Afghanistan. More detainees have been brought in for questioning, and we're told they're providing some valuable information.

CNN's Bill Hemmer is in Kandahar this morning with the details -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, good evening again from Kandahar.

I'll tell you, we just watched an awesome display of air power out on the runway just about 15 minutes ago. The Air Force working in concert with the Marines, working in concert with the Army. Just an amazing display of air power here in Kandahar.

Let's talk about the investigation. We're learning more and more again today. Military sources indicating that right now there are detainees, suspected al Qaeda members, right now in custody who, I'll quote, "had plans to travel to the U.S. at some point soon and kill Americans," according to sources here.

They also indicate that there was a direct connection to al Qaeda fighters in custody and planned terrorist attacks. And they say, "Those planned events did not come off for whatever reason in the U.S. Possibly, because the events of September 11."

Also, it looks like Bagram, north of Kabul, continues to look like a centerpiece for interrogation. We now know, within the past few days, Ibn Al-Shaykh al-Libi, he is the man the White House says ran the terrorist training camps in Afghanistan -- they say he is on their top 12 wanted list for al Qaeda members -- has been moved to Bagram. We knew a week ago that Abdul Salam Zaeef, the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, also was moved to Bagram.

Fifty detainees now being held there now north of the capital city. One source saying, "There are a lot of bad boys in Bagram, but some are lost in the sauce." Indicating that some detainees are providing little or no intelligence information to U.S. investigators here in Afghanistan. Also on that front, they continue to scour and look for more evidence that may connect al Qaeda camps.

Specifically, one here just about four miles from here, that may have tried to develop chemical or biological weapons. They say, at this point, they have no direct connection with al Qaeda members here working with other countries. But, certainly, that is still a priority to try and find that out. One investigator saying, "This is going to take a long time to complete the puzzle, but we're making progress everyday."

Also, for those detainees, we're told some of them have simply broken down, and others simply do not know where they are when they're moved about in different parts of the region here unless they have direct contact with other detainees. Three hundred and ninety-one in total right now are here in Kandahar. And we do anticipate another shipment sometime quite soon, possibly, to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to join the 20 others who arrived there on Friday afternoon.

Another note from the region, that plane that went down -- that KC-137 -- Marines, six men and one woman on board who died on Wednesday night -- they have so far recovered six of seven bodies in Southwestern Pakistan. Again, the recovery operation there is ongoing. Ultimately, those remains will all be returned to Dover Air Force Base back in the U.S., along the East Coast -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. Our Bill Hemmer in Kandahar, thank you so much.

Half way around the world there is heightened security at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Military guards are closely watching 20 detainees from Afghanistan. As CNN's Bob Franken reports, this may be the first of many detainees at Camp X-Ray.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. officials say international Red Cross representatives will be allowed to inspect as soon as they arrive. But reporters were not allowed anywhere near the facility, now that it's prison for the first al Qaeda and Taliban inmates. So the only report of the first day and night came from the warden.

COL. TERRY CARRICO, SECURITY COMMANDER: I'm very confident -- very confident that we have the situation well in hand.

FRANKEN: But these detainees, as the United States government prefers to call them, are described as the most dangerous. So their new existence is defined by massive and unyielding security; particularly, when each is out of his cell. The warden called it positive control.

CARRICO: The individual will be in the control of another -- two individuals when he is out, and he'll be properly cuffed when he's out of his individual unit that he's staying in.

FRANKEN: When they're not out showering or exercising in their manacles, the inmates will spend their hours in six by eight foot cells, with a roof and walls of chain-linked fence. Their meals will conform to Muslim dietary law. Each will be given a Koran, and each will be allowed to talk to the other. Each will also spend a lot of his time talking to the U.S. interrogators who are already here. Soon, probably very soon, they will be joined by others. Many also seething with anti-American feelings. They'll also be removed from the war zone to their new captivity, nearly immobilized during the flight.

CARRICO: This was our -- sort of our test run, and it went extremely well. And they -- they stepped up to the plate and hit a home run for us.

FRANKEN (on camera): This was just 20 prisoners. Security officials say they can handle 100 now, and are building to a capacity of up to 2,000. What they won't say is how long they'll be here or what they'll do with them.

Bob Franken, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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