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CNN Sunday Morning

Al Qaeda, Taliban, More Hidden

Aired March 10, 2002 - 10:06   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Continuing now on the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military says Operation Anaconda continues today, even though the al Qaeda and Taliban forces are staying more hidden than in previous days. Details now from Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon this morning.

Good morning Kathleen.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Miles. The word here is that while things may have quieted down a bit, this battle is far from over. There has been a great deal of movement of helicopters in the Shah-i-Kot Valley area as U.S. forces from the 101st Airborne Division are being moved around to redeployed and repositioned -- reinforce basically to better meet the challenge.

Predictions were that the dug-in Taliban and al Qaeda fighters could be defeated in say another week, but now we're being told that ground forces see this more as being mission-driven versus time- driven, and they say that it will take as long as it takes. Sources here do confirm that Pentagon officials are disappointed that one of the main U.S.-trained Afghan ground elements involved in Operation Anaconda didn't perform as was expected in the early moments of the campaign.

Well fierce enemy opposition did not help. Sources also point out that the Taliban and al Qaeda forces seem to know that the U.S. and coalition-led offensive last weekend was coming and when. For now the fighting does continue in very tough, high mountainous, snow- covered terrain. Estimates are that between five and 700 Taliban and al Qaeda forces have been killed.

Some prisoners have been taken. It's unclear whether or not they are being questioned on the battlefront, or if they have been taken back to Bagram, and there is no word at this point, Miles, as to whether they have provided any useful information. Back to you.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon, thank you very much, appreciate that -- Kyra.

KOCH: You bet.

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