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CNN Saturday Morning News

U.S.: Detainees in Cuba are Very Dangerous

Aired January 12, 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go now to the Pentagon and CNN's Jeff Levine for the latest on the detainees and a foiled terror plot in Singapore. Hi, Jeff.

JEFF LEVINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kyra.

Well, the Pentagon says that these individuals, these detainees, are so dangerous that they really have to be handled with great care. In fact, the United States does not consider them prisoners of war in the conventional sense but rather unlawful combatants.

And when they arrived at Guantanamo, the detainees were taken off one at a time. They were shackled and hooded, something that is considered a reasonable precaution by the Pentagon, considering the situation.

Now, even though there have been objections to the way that these individuals were treated by human rights groups, the fact is, the Pentagon says that it really had no choice. General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that some of these people are so extreme, so fanatical, that they would literally chew the hydraulic cables apart in the back of a cargo plane simply so it would crash.

So Kyra, that's what officials here are saying is the reason that they had to take these extreme precautions.

In the meantime, these folks are being kept in what some people would even term caves-like conditions on Guantanamo, the naval base in Cuba. However, the International Red Cross is monitoring their condition.

PHILLIPS: Jeff, now moving on to Singapore, this alleged terrorist plot to attack U.S. military targets. What can you tell us about that?

LEVINE: Well, there are some details coming out about that. We understand that some 13 people might have been involved. The Singapore government has broken up that plot. The plot was allegedly hatched by al Qaeda terrorists, and it was aimed at U.S. military personnel, Navy ships, popular establishments with sailors. The idea was that these institutions, these places would be attacked by the terrorists. And in fact there as you see, there's videotape evidence made by one of the suspects showing buses used by U.S. military personnel, and again, the idea would be that this is yet another inst -- another illustration that the terrorists are in more than one place, and that the Pentagon has to use a variety of tactics to get the job done -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, our Jeff Levine from the Pentagon, thank you so much.

And for the latest on the war against terrorism from Afghanistan, we turn to our point man in Kandahar, that's Bill Hemmer.

Hello again, Bill.

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

A couple notes first from the day today. It continues to look, Kyra, more and more like Kandahar is the focal point for the jumping- off point for taking detainees to Cuba. The first group originated from here earlier this week, Thursday night, in fact. But now we know 30 more arrived this morning, 391 the total.

But just as importantly now, we're told by the military here the runway is now capable for a C-141, it's long enough now. That plane needs about 6,000 feet of runway. Indeed, after some significant repairs were done, now it is capable for that type of aircraft. That was the aircraft that brought the second leg for detainees to Cuba.

Another note here, Kyra, sad reminder today of some fallen Marine colleagues. A memorial service, prayer service, held for the seven Marines, six men and one woman, who died in that plane crash in southwestern Pakistan, rugged terrain there in Pakistan. The recovery process there continues in that rugged site, it's ongoing.

The Pentagon says it has ruled out this time the possibility of enemy fire.

Also, more fallout from the Marine firefight that we watched on Thursday evening here in Kandahar. The Marines say after a search of the ground in the area, they found some shell casings, and also found a couple rocket-propelled grenades that they say were left and abandoned quickly.

Also, they say, they viewed the area from above with Kella -- Cobra helicopters, and they say at this time they know the hiding places of the opposition forces, and they know where they are.

Finally, the colonel from the 101st Airborne Division met with us today. In about two weeks' time, about 2,500 members of the Airborne Division will be here. They'll take the base over from the Marines. And they say their job, number one, secure the air base, keep it secure, and also watch that detention facility right now that is up and running with close to 400 detainees here -- Kyra. PHILLIPS: I -- Bill, on the note of those detainees, you know, you and I were talking yesterday. Can you describe a little bit more in detail about what they go through and how they are treated and how they're transported? I know you see a lot of things that we're not able to see on our air.

HEMMER: Indeed, you're right, Kyra. In fact, the Department of Defense has flat-out ruled at this point that we cannot show any more detainee video on our air, so we apologize for that. However, we can tell our viewers, picked up some rather interesting information last night.

All the detainees that are transferred out of here, they're changed into some orange jumpsuits that are treated for insects to make sure that no insects leave Kandahar and are taken to Guantanamo Bay. They say lice is a problem, tuberculosis has been a problem, malaria in some cases as well.

And all the detainees are given mittens, literally mittens on their hands, so in the case of a security breach, they won't be able to grab on anything any time soon.

And as you could see from the videotape that we have shown at different times, security is very tight here in Kandahar for those shipments, as it should be after the events of Mazar-e Sharif back in November, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, well, Bill, coming up next hour we'll talk to your more about some personal stories of some experiences you've had in addition to detainees and other things going on there in Afghanistan.

Thank you so much, Bill Hemmer in Kandahar.

Now we are going to go to Brian Andrews, the pool reporter standing by live from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to talk about those detainees that Bill Hemmer was talking about.

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN ANDREWS, POOL REPORTER: Good morning.

At this hour, those 20 detainees are just waking up in their six- by-eight cells in a remote part of the base here, now known as Camp X- Ray. We have some videotape of Camp X-Ray to share with you, to give you a better idea of the living conditions.

As you know, it's a large complex ringed by barbed wire and chain-link fences. The 20 detainees spent the night in their cells. We're told they slept on a foam rubber mattress. Yesterday when they got here, they were issued two towels, one for bathing, one to use as a prayer mat. We're told the towel could also be used as a blanket. It was a little bit cool here in Guantanamo Bay last night, and the mosquitoes were out.

We are told by the military that they did extensive spraying of the camp to make sure that the mosquitoes would not be an issue to ensure the humane detention conditions they are trying to have there at Camp X-Ray.

Now let's take you to some video yesterday, when this plane landed here with the 20 detainees, on the far end of the runway here at the Gitmo Naval Air Station. When they came off the plane, as you know, there was a lot of controversy about their appearance.

Well, we now know a little bit more about that. We can tell you that they were wearing goggles that were blacked out. They could not see. They were also wearing ear protection so they could not hear. That would explain why we heard yelling coming from the tarmac from our vantage point, about 200 yards off the runway.

The reason why they were in the orange jumpsuits and the mittens and the hats is because the military says it was very cold aboard that transport plane.

Now, as we come back out to our live videophone picture, the military has allowed me to show you what these folks are having for breakfast this morning. Last night when they got here, they were given this bag. And in it, they have a box of Froot Loops, they have sunflower seeds, a granola bar, and a bag of chips. This they can have at any time of the day or night.

For lunch, they're given what they call a culturally neutral meal. This, I'm told, is pasta and vegetable stew that they have around the noon hour.

And to show you what they're wearing, the military has given us a jumpsuit. This is what the 20 detainees are outfitted in for their stay here at Guantanamo Bay. It's a one-piece jumpsuit, zippers up in the front. The tag says "Made in Mexico." But this is what they're wearing during their stay, a stay that has an undetermined length, as this now becomes the place where America will be bringing the prisoners in the war on terrorism.

That's the very latest from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, this morning. I'm Brian Andrews reporting.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right, Brian Andrews, thanks for the visuals. They're very interesting. Appreciate your report.

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