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CNN Live Sunday

Pentagon Releases Names of Marine Helicopter Crash Victims

Aired January 20, 2002 - 18:02   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We go first to the Pentagon for the latest on that Marine helicopter crash. CNN's Jeff Levine has an update from there. Good afternoon, Jeff.

JEFF LEVINE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol. Indeed, the Pentagon has just released the names of the crash victims. They're Staff Sergeant Walter Cohee III, 26, from Wicomico, Maryland, and the other one killed is Sergeant Dwight J. Morgan, 24, from Mendocino, California.

Now, the Pentagon also says that the incident took place about 8:00 local time this morning. The fatal crash occurred in the remote mountains of northern Afghanistan. Rescue workers rushed to the site of the downed CH-53e superstallion Marine helicopter. That's about 40 miles south of the Bagram Air Base. The chopper like this one was one of two on the resupply mission. Seven Marines were on board. Two of them died in the incident, the five others are expected to recover from injuries, which a Pentagon source says are not life-threatening.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says it appear hostile fire did not bring down the chopper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: I spoke to General Franks, the combatant commander this morning, and he indicates that they have no evidence at all that it was ground fire. They believe, from what they've been able to hear from the members of the crew, that it's very likely was a mechanical failure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVINE: Now if you recall, it was just a couple of weeks ago that a KC-130 tanker went down in Pakistan, killing all seven Marines on board. Carol, that shows the terrible toll that the war is taking on U.S. troops and the machines that sustain them.

LIN: And you bet. We were just talking to General Wesley Clark about that in the last hour. Jeff, you probably have seen these photographs released by the Pentagon of these detainees in Guantanamo Bay, and already raising some criticism here by the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw who wants this investigated. He wants to know whether these prisoners are being treated humanely. What do you know about these photographs? LEVINE: Well, the photographs may appear provocative, but the Pentagon does have an explanation, and I think we should go right to the top for an answer to those charges. Here's what Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says about the picture and the treatment of the detainees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUMSFELD: These people are given excellent medical care. They're receiving culturally appropriate meals three times a day. They are being allowed to practice their religion, which is not something that they encouraged on the part of others. They are clothed cleanly, and they're dry and safe. I -- I think that the people who have been the most shrill on the subject very likely will, once they have more knowledge of the situation, stop being quite so shrill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEVINE: Just a little while ago, we talked to Colonel Ron Williams of U.S. Southern Command, and he says that even though the detainees are shown shackled, they have their heads covered, they have their eyes covered, their ears covered, there are logical reasons for this. For example, Williams says that the detainees are extremely dangerous people, they may try to communicate some sort of hostile message to each other to incite a riot or an attack. They may also learn information that could be used against U.S. troops on the ground in Guantanamo.

So, Williams says that while these precautions may appear to be extreme, there is a reason for them. He also points out that the International Red Cross is on the scene in Guantanamo, the delegation is there, meeting with the detainees and in some cases passing out mail. The detainees, says Williams, are being treating in some ways in accord with Geneva Conventions. They are being given medical attention. They are not being treated inhumanely. Even though they are being kept in what some have called cages that are only eight by eight feet in dimensions, what Williams says is that these are acceptable conditions, they're reasonable given the extremely dangerous nature of the individuals, and that's what has to be done to protect U.S. troops.

So that's the U.S. side of the argument, Carol.

LIN: There you go, you answered a lot of my questions. Thank you very much, Jeff Levine, reporting live from the Pentagon.

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