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CNN Live Sunday

U.S. Marines expect Final Assault on Taliban Stronghold of Kandahar

Aired December 02, 2001 - 17:05   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: U.S. Marines and Afghan opposition troops expect a final assault on the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar to be unpleasant too, but as CNN's Walter Rodgers reports, they are geared up and ready for action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A Protestant chaplain leads U.S. Marines in player as the anti-Taliban ring draws tighter and tighter around Kandahar.

The Marines paused at their base in the Afghan desert Sunday, this as the coalition military buildup continues. The Roman Catholic eucharistic minister, Major Beau Higgins, said, quote, "We are definitely getting prepared for what lies ahead." Higgins' full time job is a Marine intelligence officer, and he said the war is reaching a culmination point. MAJ. BEAU HIGGINS, MARINE INTELLIGENCE OFFICER: The way the Taliban is looking, a lot of pressure, kind of a snake, kind of squeezing in on them, and hopefully, they will be -- we can get them out of there in the pretty near future. So we will see.

RODGERS: Both Roman Catholic and Protestant services offered the prayer of Isiah, that the sword my be beaten into plowshares and the spears into pruning hooks, but peace still seems quite distant from this Marine base camp.

This Marine lance corporal, Alesar Hernandez said that he attended the mass because he got a sign. Newly arrived pictures from his wife of their baby daughter, Milagros (ph) Angelica.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure enough the pictures were there, and I said, I have to go thank the man upstairs for this one.

RODGERS: Meanwhile, the number of Marine attack and support helicopters at this desert base nearly doubled overnight. Nearly all the pilots complained of the terrible dust they have to fly through, but Captain Doug Sanders says his Cobra helicopter is more than ready to fly. CAPT. DOUG SANDERS, MARINE HELICOPTER PILOT: She is fast, she flies low, she is very agile. In combat, that's what is what is going to keep alive. They have tough time keeping up with them. RODGERS: Nearly everyone here is beginning to speculate on when the final push for Kandahar will begin. It's not at all certain these Marines will be participating in that, although one officer said, quote, "we are here for a purpose. We will tell you after we do it."

Walter Rogers with Task Force 58, in southern Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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