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CNN Saturday Morning News

Nathan Chapman First U.S. Soldier Killed by Hostile Fire

Aired January 05, 2002 - 07:01   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: Let's take a closer look now at our top story. Sergeant First Class Nathan Chapman has become the first American soldier killed by hostile fire in Afghanistan. His family says he was a devoted husband and father, and he was equally devoted to serving his country.

CNN's Jonathan Aiken is following the story from the Pentagon -- Jonathan.

JONATHAN AIKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Marty.

Sergeant Chapman had about a decade's worth of experience in the U.S. military. He served in the military in actions that took place in Panama, parachuted into Panama, served in Haiti, and he also was in Operation Desert Storm.

He was a sergeant first class, member of the Green Berets, a communications specialist in San Antonio, Texas, and a father of two.

Now, as for what happened, we're told that as a communications specialist, Chapman was working with a U.S. team that included a CIA agent. These guys were operating in a portion of eastern Afghanistan -- you see it on the map there, not far from Kabul, actually east of Kabul near this town of Khowst in the Paktia Provinces -- an area that's been hit recently by U.S. gunships and B-52 bombers. It's an area of some stubborn resistance on the part of both al Qaeda and/or Taliban fighters.

What we were told in this is that during this in -- during this activity, Sergeant Chapman, along with the U.S. team and a CIA agent, were with local tribal leaders on the ground when there was an exchange of gunfire. We're going to let the head of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, General Tommy Franks, pick up the story from there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. TOMMY FRANKS, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: What I know is that there was an exchange of small arms fire, that this American serviceman was doing his job, that he was out for the purpose of working with and coordinating with tribal leaders in that area. And I think anything else that I would say at this point would be a bit too speculative, and so I'll leave it at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) AIKEN: Well, as for the CIA officer, obviously he's not being identified. We're told he was wounded and has already been taken out of Afghanistan.

As you mentioned, Marty, Chapman's parents issued a statement overnight in which they said they were proud of their son, that he was devoted not only to his family, a father of two, but also considered the military to be his second family, and his body arrived just a short while ago at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, on its way back to the United States.

Now, in terms of military action, it has been a relatively quiet 24 hours. U.S. jets were busy, however, over parts of eastern Afghanistan. They hit an al Qaeda training camp for the second day running. We're told that this target included a training site, some buildings, and also some caves. And according to Pentagon officials, there was evidence that al Qaeda troops were beginning to regroup in this area near this site, presumably to get together before making a run for the border with Pakistan.

And it looks as though the military, as it said it always would, start taking a look outside of Afghanistan in its war on terror. Intelligence sources are telling CNN that daily reconnaissance and surveillance flights are being conducted now by specially equipped aircraft as they're flying over the coasts of both Somalia and Yemen, over Africa.

They're looking for evidence that al Qaeda leaders may be making their way by boat to Somalia, which is largely lawless, and it's a target of curiosity on the part of the U.S. military and intelligence officials, since there is said to be some al Qaeda activity already taking place there.

So Marty, from the Pentagon, the story this Saturday morning, the military mourning the loss of one of its own, U.S. bombers hitting targets of opportunity, as they're called, as they present themselves, and American eyes in the sky looking now beyond Afghanistan to other places in its war on terror -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: Jonathan Aiken joining us from the Pentagon this morning, thanks very much.

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