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CNN Saturday Morning News

Marines Receive New Batch of Detainees at Kandahar Airport

Aired December 29, 2001 - 07:02   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: For the latest on the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan, we go to CNN's Bill Hemmer. He's standing by live at Kandahar's airport.

Good to see you, Bill.

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

At this time, we saw the biggest load of detainees brought in last night, the biggest single load, 63 in all, bringing the total here to 125. And of the latest batch that brought in overnight, we're told that of those 63, 29 have broken bones and other injuries that are consistent with battle, we're told, combat, possibly victims of the U.S. bombing in different parts of Afghanistan.

Also, in addition to that, 16 others are suffering from some sort of long-term medical condition, possibly diabetes or malaria.

And what this could mean also for those guards that are watching them is more manpower needed, not only for the guards but the doctors who are charged to take care of them.

But again, 125 the total number here now.

And ultimately, there is speculation that continues to grow on a daily basis as to what happens to these detainees down the road. The Pentagon talking this week that Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will most likely be the next place along their routes. But that, perhaps, won't come now for several weeks. We're told the base there in Cuba is not nearly ready.

On another front here, we continue to see improvements here at the -- airport, rather, in Kandahar. And on a daily basis, we talked about the Army coming in in more substantial presence, and the Air Force as well. The indications we have from sources here that it is in all likelihood, come mid-January, the 101st Airborne will be the division chosen here.

But again, full official word won't come till the deployment order is signed in Washington, and that will not happen until the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, puts his name on it.

But military sources here tell us their purpose here serves two main reasons. Number one is the military, the other being political. From a political standpoint, they know that the U.S. continues to support the interim government of Hamid Karzai. Knowing that the U.S. is just a stone's throw away, it continues to give a strong symbolic boost to the political situation here.

From a military standpoint, we all know and have been told that al Qaeda and Taliban elements continue to amass on the Afghan-Pakistan border, and if they were to act up, we're told, the U.S. military, again, is just a short distance away, and with the military air strikes that have -- we have seen for the past two and a half months, clearly that is another option that is still on the table.

One more thing I want to talk about, Kyra, quickly here, the consistent situation between India and Pakistan. We know that military officials here from Kandahar recently over the past few days have been in Islamabad meeting with Pakistani officials.

Here is the concern on the U.S. side. If the situation with India and Pakistan continued to build up, there is concern that the Pakistani military resources would be taken from the western part of the country and dispatched to eastern Pakistan to help out with the situation with India.

In effect, that may take some valuable military resources away from the current war on terrorism -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Bill Hemmer live from Kandahar. Thank you so much.

And while there are some adjustments in U.S. troop operations in Afghanistan, their number one goal remains the same, finding Osama bin Laden.

CNN military analyst retired Air Force general Don Shepperd joins Soviet Union this morning with more on that.

Good to see you again, general.

MAJ. GEN. DONALD SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Morning, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, high-ranking Afghan intelligence officials tell CNN that bin Laden paid a large of money -- a large amount, rather, of money to buy his way out of Afghanistan. What do you make of that report?

SHEPPERD: Possibility that that happened. The bottom line is, we do not know where bin Laden is, and we don't know if he's dead or alive. But that would be a very likely possibility, and one that bin Laden would likely exercise.

Now, the payoff would have been to an Eastern Alliance commander or someone of influence in the Eastern Alliance that was able to get him out. And there's also rumors that other al Qaeda forces paid money to get out as well. All a possibility, Kyra. PHILLIPS: Well, the talk was that he was crossing into Pakistan. Does this mean bin Laden is most likely to be in Pakistan, then, or could he have fled to another country?

SHEPPERD: Both of those are possibilities. And again, we don't know. But the western area of Pakistan is loosely under Pakistan government control. It's the tribal area of Pakistan. Lot of sympathy for bin Laden in that area.

On the other hand, the Pakistan government has no interest in bin Laden or the al Qaeda being able to operate from within Pakistan. It really complicates their political and military situation. So if he is there, again, we will be looking for him as well as the Pakistanis, and that reward is out there dangling for anyone.

It's also possible he could have escaped to another country.

PHILLIPS: Well, U.S. officials are still encouraging Afghan soldiers to search the caves of Tora Bora for bodies. How likely is it that bin Laden really was killed in a U.S. air strike there in those caves?

SHEPPERD: Again, it's a possibility that he was. All sorts of rumors and reports. As Secretary Rumsfeld said, 10 to 12 reports a day, making him so tired he's not even chasing them any more.

We want definitive evidence, dead or alive, and we're willing to pay for that evidence. And so we're encouraging the Eastern Alliance forces and using some of our special forces also to look in the places where we've got intelligence. It's not just a random search, but we're really looking for areas that are areas of obvious interest, and we'll pay handsomely for anyone that can come up with bin Laden dead or alive.

PHILLIPS: Now, let's talk about this video that was released last week. Bin Laden looks very gaunt, he doesn't look very healthy as he did before. Is this the effect the military campaign may be having on him? Do you think he's still capable of mounting an attack against the U.S.? Or do you think this tape is not real?

SHEPPERD: Yes, a little bit of all the above. You know, I'm not a psychologist or a doctor, but as I looked at him in that videotape, he looked like death warmed over. It could be that he had been injured in an attack, as reported. It could be that he was already dead at the time. So I'm just not sure what -- you know, what to make of that tape other than the fact that it was more of the same, and the message is not selling around the world.

So again, we're just after him, and I'm sure that's going to make him tired wherever he is. His pasty complexion could be that he was operating out of caves because of the military pressure. But wherever he is, we're going to be after him, and we're going to be after him and people of his al Qaeda network forever, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: General Don Shepperd, we'll see you again next hour. Thank you so much. SHEPPERD: You bet.

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