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CNN Sunday Morning

Rumsfeld to Detainee Camp

Aired January 27, 2002 - 11:08   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to the Afghan war detainees. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld travels to the detainee camp on Guantanamo Bay, Cuba today, as I mentioned. Our Kathleen Koch is at the Pentagon with more details on Rumsfeld's trip -- hi there, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka, and also I extend my welcome to you for joining CNN. We're happy to have you on board.

WHITFIELD: Thank you very much -- glad to be here -- appreciate it.

KOCH: Now, the defense secretary's plane is about to arrive in just a few minutes in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is there on his very first visit to GTMO, to Camp X-ray. While there, he is going to be meeting with the base commander, talking with the U.S. forces who are keeping watch over the detainees, and of course, taking a look at the conditions under which those detainees are being held.

Forces there, who are watching the prisoners, say that a pecking order appears to be emerging amongst them.

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BRIG. GEN. MIKE LEHNERT, JOINT COMMANDER TASK FORCE: We are seeing that some leaders are beginning to emerge. We have indications that many have received training, and that they are observing actions, such as security procedures. We have seen some attempts to secret away materials or to coordinate activities. Given their background and training, this is something that we have anticipated. Many appear disciplined and very patient.

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KOCH: Now, of course, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been one of the staunchest defenders of the quality of the treatment that those 158 detainees are receiving, saying that it is proper, humane and in keeping with international conventions. Base personnel on a report that those prisoners are, as we see in this picture there, allowed to pray several times a day. They have been assigned their own Muslim cleric. They receive culturally appropriate meals. They see appropriate medical treatment. But at this point, though, Fredricka, there will be no more detainees transferred to that facility. They are busy expanding it, as we speak -- back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Walter Reed Hospital in Washington is another place, where some of the detainees or combatants are being held. What are some of the complaints coming out of there?

KOCH: Well, now, let's be clear, these are combatants on the other side. What we're talking about, what CNN has learned, is that there are six anti-Taliban fighters who are being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. They were brought there on January 19, and these were fighters fighting, again, with the United States against the Taliban who were injured in the December 5 incident, when a B-52 bomber dropped a laser-guided bomb, and it went astray north of Kandahar. That was the incident in which three U.S. Special Forces soldiers were killed.

We are told that these fighters are in stable condition, and as a matter of fact, last night, they received a visit from the Afghan foreign minister who is here in Washington with Hamid Karzai on his first visit -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks very much, Kathleen Koch, for that clarification there.

KOCH: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Thank you.

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