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CNN Live Sunday

U.S. Marines Prepare for Battle

Aired December 02, 2001 - 16:13   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.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: It's the Taliban's last stand, and pressure is building from all sides for a possible final assault on Kandahar. CNN's Walter Rodgers is among a pool of reporters covering the Marines in Afghanistan, and he files our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A U.S. Marine intelligence officer today compared the coming battle for Kandahar to a snake. In his words, "The Taliban is feeling a lot of pressure squeezing in on them." And he added, "we hope to get them out of there in the near future."

Marine Major Bo Higgins (ph) said the struggle for Kandahar is reaching, quote, "a culmination point." He said that the Taliban stronghold is seeing a lot of forces coming into play, Afghan opposition groups from the north moving toward Kandahar; others, he said, coming in from the south; and he added, "us, the Marines, coming potentially from where we are."

There has been as yet no firm decision to commit the U.S. Marines to the coming battle for Kandahar. Indeed, the Marines are still standing off at a fair distance. But the Marine buildup continues. One officer said, "you see more Marines coming in; our perimeter is secured." He said, "You see more and more helicopters. We are definitely prepared," he added, "for what lies ahead."

Overnight (AUDIO GAP) of Marine helicopters nearly doubled, both attack and support choppers. No one is talking about the specifics of any upcoming military operations; still, the anticipation is building. At Protestant and Roman Catholic church services this Sunday both prayed to be delivered from the evil in the coming days.

And now, if you ask the Marines what they're expecting, one captain told me, quote: "We're here for our purpose. We'll tell you after we do it."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KELLEY: That was CNN's Walter Rodgers on the military buildup in the struggle for Kandahar.

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