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CNN Saturday Morning News

Marines Turn Over Kandahar Airport to 101st Airborne

Aired January 19, 2002 - 10:10   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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn our sites now on Afghanistan. U.S. Marines turn the reigns over to the 101st Airborne in Kandahar. The Army is now in charge of the airport there. CNN's Ben Wedeman is there watching it all happen -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, it was a fairly simple ceremony this morning. Soldiers form the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army raised their banner. Officially, now, they control the airport here. That is after one month under the control of the Marines. Those Marines already moving out. In fact, those young men behind me are some of those Marines. They are very happy to be getting out of here. It is very cold. Conditions are very rough, many of them looking forward to hot showers and warm beds.

Now, the Army has been moving in its troops here over out last few days, setting up. In fact, some of them have been here several weeks as a matter of fact. Basically, what it means -- their takeover is an indication that the U.S. is going to be at this airport for quite some time. They're running missions throughout southern Afghanistan, also, flying back and forth between here and ships in the Indian Ocean as well as missions over Afghanistan -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, thank you very much. CNN's Ben Wedeman -- excuse me -- in Kandahar.

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