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CNN Saturday Morning News

80 Taliban Fighters Captured in Mazar-e Sharif

Aired December 01, 2001 - 11:03   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Now we want to swing our sights slightly to the north to the town of Mazar-e Sharif. You may remember that was the site of a bloody uprising by Taliban prisoners. And among those who lost their lives in that was a CIA operative for the United States.

Joining us on the phone is CNN's Alessio Vinci with more on what appears to be some sort of surrender there.

Alessio, what do you know?

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a surprising outcome here, Martin. Red Cross officials here in Mazar-e Sharif have just told me that more than 80 Taliban prisoners who had been involved in that bloody uprising early this week are still alive and have now surrendered to the Northern Alliance at the fortress.

The Red Cross had suspended collecting the bodies on Thursday, because of what they believed were a few prisoners still trapped inside a building were shooting at rescue workers as they were approaching the hold, killing one and wounding two. But the number of those still alive underneath the rubble was believed to be two or three at the most.

Yesterday Northern Alliance forces flooded the basement in an attempt to get the remaining prisoners out of it. First 16 of them emerged late last night, and then the rest of them emerged this morning, surrendering.

The Red Cross was called by the Northern Alliance to go back to the fortress. And when officials arrived there, they found more than 80 prisoners inside a container.

A Red Cross official who went to the fortress told me that 18 out of the more than 80 prisoners were seriously wounded and needed immediate medical treatment. And one doctor from the Mazar-e Sharif military hospital said that at least three prisoners, including one with a fractured skull, would have died if not brought to a hospital immediately.

Eyewitnesses say the Red Cross officials who went to the fortress recommended that these three prisoners be brought to the hospital right away, but it is unclear if, indeed, they reached the hospital. Some first aid has been provided on the spot. Eyewitnesses also say that most of the prisoners looked shocked, terrified, hungry and cold. But it isn't clear if any of them, again, has made it to any hospital so far.

The prisoners did receive some food and blankets. Eyewitnesses also say that despite the intense and bloody firefight which followed the uprising, Northern Alliance soldiers were treating the prisoners well, even feeding them and providing them some first aid.

It isn't clear to me how the surviving prisoners, you know, managed to get out of the firefight. It was intense. It was long. It lasted for three days. The United States military jets bombed the area several times. And we were told several days ago that most of the prisoners had been killed.

The Red Cross plans an additional visit early tomorrow morning, since most of them have not been registered yet -- most of the prisoners have not been registered yet. And we must take into total confidentiality (ph) between the prisoners and the Red Cross -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Alessio, is that it then? They believe the all-clear has sort of been sounded inside of that fortress?

VINCI: Martin, they have sounded the all-clear three times already in that fortress since the uprising began, and yet this stunning development today. But I do believe that after those 80 will be moved out of the fortress, that will be the end of it, yes.

SAVIDGE: All right, CNN's Alessio Vinci, joining us from Mazar-e Sharif, the site of that bloody uprising earlier reporting more surrenders there -- Kyra.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, while we're talking about these two breaking stories, let's bring in Major General Don Shepperd, and talk a little bit about these two breaking stories going on and get your reaction, Don, to first of all the story Alessio Vinci just brought to us.

What's your first reaction with the information that he has brought about?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Yes, my first reaction is another day in Afghanistan, another surprise. In a military operation, just as soon as everything is going well and you're starting to relax, bang, something happens.

It never ceases to amaze me that whatever can go wrong will. And you're continually surprised, and it's a harbinger of some of the things to come. These types of people have -- some of them have escaped, gone to the mountains, and they're going to be around to cause these guerrilla-style attacks for a long period of time. But hopefully, Mazar-e Sharif is over now, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, now moving on to Osama bin Laden and the recent reports now that he may not be in Tora Bora. What do you think?

SHEPPERD: Well, there are two areas that have extensive cave and tunnel complexes that we've concentrated on for a long time. One of them is Marouf, down in the Kandahar area. And, of course, there are other areas down there as well. And then of course, the other one is the Tora Bora, up in the Jalalabad area.

I don't know where he is. Neither does anybody else. But you can be sure that General Franks has got all of the sensors available to him really concentrated on both areas, looking for this man and his coterie.

Now in addition, it's important to realize that there are just so many places throughout the country that he could go, and he's probably got an exit plan really figured out here.

You have to just like -- in military intelligence just like the news, you receive reports, thousands of them from everywhere, and you have to at some point decide what's credible and what you're going to focus on before you put out a story. CENTCOM, General Franks is doing the same thing right now.

PHILLIPS: One quick question, General, before we move on here. Taking the information that obviously Ben Wedeman just brought us, and what was coming from Abdullah Abdullah, the leader of the Northern Alliance, that bin Laden they believe is not in Tora Bora, but rather just outside or in southern Afghanistan.

Now, U.S. Marines have just moved into an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan. Is this coincidence or is this the plan here?

SHEPPERD: No, I don't think it's coincidence. It's part of a well thought-out plan to put troops in the right locations and establish FOBs, Forward Operating Bases, where you can bring in more troops.

And then if you decide to mount a large operation because you've got a significant portion of al Qaeda or bin Laden himself cornered, you can bring in more troops, surround the area and then conduct a real military operation. It's not coincidence.

PHILLIPS: Major General Don Shepperd, thank you sir.

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