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CNN Saturday Morning News

U.S. Marines Lie in Striking Distance of Kandahar

Aired December 01, 2001 - 08:35   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: U.S. marines are awaiting orders now at a new base within striking distance of the Taliban's last major stronghold, their spiritual capital of Kandahar. The exact location of the desert base is not being disclosed, for obvious reasons.

CNN's Walter Rodgers is there as a member of the journalist pool accompanying the U.S. marine force. He joins us now by telephone.

Set the scene for us, Walter.

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Kyra.

It's night here in the deserts of southern Afghanistan and U.S. marine light armored vehicles are fanning out on reconnaissance missions, nightly patrols, searching out any pockets of Taliban resistance or perhaps efforts by the Taliban to infiltrate and penetrate the per miter of the makeshift air base that the marines have established here. The marines' actual contact with the Taliban has been very limited so far. These mobile light armored units are supported by Cobra helicopters. In the darkness of the desert night, everyone wears night vision goggles at this hour.

The problem for the marines is the Taliban has integrated itself into the civilian population in southern Afghanistan. That means that as the marines discover Afghan cars crisscrossing the desert at night, they must determine who are the real civilians and whose carrying gasoline and other supplies for the remaining Taliban fighters in this area, some of whom are believed to still have vintage Soviet tanks and other armor.

The worst enemy most of the marine infantry battalion will encounter is cold, bitter December night winter cold to be suffered and endured in fighting holes on the perimeter of the air base. The marines have other enemies in their fighting holes -- isolation and boredom. One sergeant told me his major task is ranging the perimeter from mortar nest to mortar nest just telling the dug in marines the latest basketball or football scores, and the latest gains made by the Northern Alliance around Kandahar.

Nearly every marine with whom I spoke was yearning for a fight, a chance to prove themselves in combat. "Anything is better than sitting in these holes in the desert," one marine corporal said.

Meanwhile, the supply buildup continues. More cargo flights are expected to land on this dry lake bed this evening. Every night they offload more and more supplies in great clouds of choking dust. This is other marines sit in their tents and fighting holes awaiting orders from someone higher up that will tell them that they will be able to test themselves against the Taliban -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Walter, what are the rules of engagement? If, indeed, a marine does identify an enemy vehicle or activity, what's the next course of action, surveillance or engagement?

RODGERS: I can answer that by the precedent of what has happened so far. On November 26, a marine, actually it was a navy plane, discovered what is saw was a convoy in southern Afghanistan. The navy called the marines. The marines had helicopters, Cobra gunships which could move in and check out the convoy and determine if, indeed, it was just civilian cars and trucks or whether, in fact, it was a military convoy. The marine helicopters then go in. They radio up to the marine fighter bomber pilots in the F-14 up above and the F-14s then struck at the Taliban military convoy of 15 tanks and other light armored vehicles.

This happened November 26. I can't tell you the operational orders. I can tell you what has happened in the past. And so far the marines have been very careful about engagements and they have been working in unison with navy fighter bomber pilots -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. CNN's Walter Rodgers with the U.S. marines at an undisclosed location; thanks, Walter.

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