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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

America Strikes Back

Aired October 08, 2001 - 19:00   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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS: "America Strikes Back." Afghanistan is hit by another round of airstrikes a day after the U.S. and Britain open a new front, striking Taliban military targets and Osama bin Laden's training bases.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We will not stop until the terrorist networks are destroyed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The U.S. is also dropping relief supplies for Afghan refugees, but can it win hearts and minds in a Muslim world?

And amid new steps to secure the homefront, there are fresh concerns about deadly anthrax.

We'll hear from our correspondents in Washington, Florida, Afghanistan and Pakistan. And we'll get perspective from former NATO commander General Wesley Clark as "America Strikes back."

Good evening. Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting tonight from Washington.

We're keeping a close eye on today's attacks on Afghanistan, but an incident here in the United States illustrates the new realities of a jittery nation on high alert. Two F-16s escorted an American Airlines flight into Chicago several hours ago. The fighters scrambled after a boy said to be mentally impaired tried to enter the cockpit. The plane landed safely and no one was arrested.

On the ground, already tight security measures have been tightened, especially at sensitive sights such as tunnels, railroads and power plants.

And a new rule that will hit air travelers in the United States directly. The FAA plans to limit carry-on luggage to one bag plus one personal article such as a purse or a briefcase.

Nightfall in Afghanistan brought the start of a second wave of airstrikes. Let's go live to CNN military affairs correspondent Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon. JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, at this hour Pentagon officials tell CNN that the second day of airstrikes is just about wrapping up. There may be one or two planes still in the air, but most of the bombing has been completed. This in the second day as the United States continues to pursue the Taliban and the Al Qaeda network and achieve its stated goal of clearing the way for what it calls sustained anti-terrorist and humanitarian relief operations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE (voice-over): The first pictures of damage near Kabul came from an Arabic satellite television station, Al Jazeera, as the Pentagon launched a second day of attacks roughly half the size of day one. Fifteen Tomahawk Cruise Missiles from three U.S. Navy ships, including a submarine, 10 fighter bombers from U.S. aircraft carriers, three B-1s from the British base in Diego Garcia, and two more B-2s on a marathon flight from Missouri.

But the chairman of the joint chiefs said to just add up the numbers would be the wrong measure of success.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: Regardless of the pounds of munitions or the scope of the targets, yesterday's strikes began setting the conditions, setting the conditions for future operations. We did destroy some of the terrorists' infrastructure and we did begin feeding and assisting the victims of the Taliban regime.

MCINTYRE: There were fewer targets to hit the second time around, but the categories stayed the same: air defenses, radars, airplanes and airstrips, command-and-control centers, and concentrations of Taliban or al Qaeda-backed troops in the north. And the Pentagon is making no secret that part of its strategy is to topple the Taliban.

RUMSFELD: But certainly we are working with the elements on the ground that are interested in overthrowing and expelling that group of people.

MCINTYRE: The Pentagon continues to warn that victory will be neither quick nor easy and hints of the need for ground troops in the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCINTYRE: One of those hints came when Secretary Rumsfeld said today that cruise missiles and bombers are not going to solve this problem. We know that. And the chairman of the joint chiefs, General Myers, said that the pressure in the coming days will be relentless. He said it will be not always quantifiable, not necessarily visible. Again a hint a covert operations. Meanwhile all U.S. pilots have returned safely so far.

Pentagon officials say that the bombers are flying well above the range of Afghanistan's anti-aircraft artillery and Stinger missiles. Stinger missiles, by the way, that the United States supplied to the Afghan rebels back in the 1980s when they were fighting the Soviet Red Army -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie, there's been a lot of speculation about special forces being used. Would they be used inside Afghanistan, outside Afghanistan? What are you hearing?

MCINTYRE: Well, there's always a possibility the United States could set up a base of operations, particularly in the area where the Northern Alliance is, but there are a couple of other options. Uzbekistan, which has granted the United States permission to have search-and-rescue operations in its country, and a base right near Afghanistan, has also kind of hinted that it might not ask too carefully what the United States has actually sending there, as long as it can say public that they're there for humanitarian reasons. Also neighboring Tajikistan apparently issued a statement today saying that it would be willing to allow the United States to conduct offensive operations from its territory. Nobody here at the Pentagon has confirmed that official word yet, but there's a promise there that the United States would have another option for basing troops just over the border -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jamie McIntyre at the Pentagon, thank you very much.

And the airstrikes against Afghanistan have touched off widespread protest in neighboring Pakistan, a key partner, of course, in the anti-terror coalition.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour joins us live from Islamabad. Tell us what's happening there, Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we've been talking to sources inside Afghanistan as we did even last night during the first wave of attacks. They report that tonight's wave is less intense, according to our sources, than the first wave was. We have heard from people in Kandahar, who say they heard similar big explosions toward the outskirts near the airport at Kandahar as they did the previous night.

We have also seen on the nightscope video some big explosions several hours ago around, perhaps around the Bagram airport north of Kabul. This is from a video camera that was stationed about 40 kilometers north of those explosions.

We have also here in Pakistan witnessed the day after, if you like. Everybody was wondering just how public reaction would work here once the military offensive was under way. And there were indeed demonstrations. One particularly large one and rather ugly in the town of Quetta, west of here, where some 10,000-15,000, according to the organizers, took to the street. And they burned tires of vehicles. They set fire to some businesses and buildings, including a United Nations office there.

There was a heavy police presence. They dispersed many of the protesters using tear gas and bullets. One person was reported killed there and others reported to have been wounded by gunfire.

In the meantime, President Musharraf continues to insist that the vast majority of this nation of 145 million people do support him. He believes that he has the situation under control. He says that he has been assured by the United States and Britain that this military campaign will not be very long, although he did not know how to define long. And he also insists that there not be a political or humanitarian vacuum left in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PERVEZ MUSHARRAF, PAKISTANI PRESIDENT: An ideal scenario, operation scenario is a short, sharp action followed as fast as possible through a very balanced political dispensation and rehabilitation efforts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now, Mr. Musharraf was asked about whether terrorism could in fact be eradicated, and he was very careful not to draw any links between what happened in the United States and other issues that inflame Arab public opinion and Islamic public opinion. But he did say that the world did need to get back on board in a heavy effort to eliminate the causes that enrage public opinion. He mentioned the issue of the Palestinians and the Middle East peace process. And so have other Middle East leaders who I've spoken to say that this is a big, big responsibility for the future and for the future political stability of this region -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Christiane Amanpour in Islamabad, thank you very much.

Pakistan was not the only scene of violent protests today. Pro- bin Laden demonstrators attacked police stations in Gaza and two were shot dead in clashes with Palestinian security forces.

Let's go live to CNN State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel. Koppel is monitoring the reaction around the world -- Andrea.

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, that's right. Those very strong and public demonstrations of anti-American sentiment there come in stark contrast to the public expressions of support from some key U.S. allies. We're talking about, for example, Russia, Britain, Germany. But as we've seen and as Christiane just pointed out there in her report, those expressions of support are far from universal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): Administration officials tell CNN they are worried about how to manage the fragile U.S.-led coalition in the days ahead when cracks are already evident from South Asia to Africa to the Middle East. Around the world thousands of angry demonstrators are taking to the streets to protest U.S. military strikes against Afghanistan.

ARI FLEISCHER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There have been protests before and I anticipate there will be protests in the future. That's the reality.

KOPPEL: But privately officials say the reality in some countries in Asia and the Middle East with large Muslim populations is that while the government may support the U.S.-led campaign the people don't. In Pakistan, where support for the Taliban and Osama bin Laden runs deep, U.S. officials say it appears President Musharraf has things under control for now, but they worry about the future stability of the regime.

In Indonesia, home to tens of millions of Muslims, U.S. officials say they are dismayed the government has done little to protect American citizens from hard-line Islamic groups.

And in Qatar, where the Al Jazeera satellite TV station is based and continues to broadcast statements from bin Laden, U.S. officials say the government there has been very unhelpful in toning down anti- American rhetoric.

The challenge for the Bush administration: to keep the coalition together not only during strikes against terrorist networks in Afghanistan, but months, perhaps years, longer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: The first real indicator of this coalition's staying powerful could come as soon as this week. In fact, tomorrow the Organization of Islamic Conference -- that's the largest Muslim organization in the world -- holds a meeting in Qatar to discuss this campaign. According to one senior administration official I spoke to today, he said that the U.S. isn't expecting much support out of the conference.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, thank you very much.

Now let's get the latest now from the White House where President Bush today installed the nation's first-ever director of homeland security and also issued a stern rebuke over leaks in the news media.

CNN senior White House correspondent John King joins us live -- John.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, new details tonight as well about just how the president ordered these military strikes. Senior aides today telling reporters the initial decision came one week ago tomorrow: Tuesday, October 2. The president left his National Security Council meeting and called a top aide, Karen Hughes, and said he had decided to launch military strikes, wanted her to begin the work of a speech to the American people explaining all that. And tonight, as the president is briefed on day two of the strikes, he's also trying to make clear to the American people this campaign will be a long one and will also call on financial and diplomatic weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): On day two of the military campaign overseas, the president introduced his new general for the war on terrorism here at home. Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge is now assistant to the president and director of homeland security, charged with ending turf battles among the 40 federal agencies that deal with anti- terrorism efforts.

TOM RIDGE, U.S. DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We must be task- oriented. The only turf we should be worried about protecting is the turf we stand on.

KING: Mr. Bush once again made clear the campaign is just beginning.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On all efforts, on all fronts we're going to be ongoing and relentless as we tighten the net of justice. This will be a long war that requires understanding and patience from the American people.

KING: The initial round of strikes is limited to bin Laden and Taliban targets in Afghanistan, but the United States and Great Britain formally notified the United Nations Security Council they reserve the right to broaden the military campaign.

In this letter, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte wrote, quote: "We may find our self-defense requires further actions with respect to other organizations and other states." Mr. Bush was in an upbeat mood at this celebration of Columbus Day, but CNN has learned that the president called the top four congressional leaders Friday and angrily complained about leaks of classified and sensitive information from secret administration briefings to Congress.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: And the president then sent this hand-signed memo to key Cabinet secretaries: the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as the FBI director, the attorney general and the head of the CIA. In this memo, the president orders them to restrict briefings of any classified materials or sensitive information to just a select group at the top of the Congress.

The president writes, quote: "We have an obligation to protect military operational security, intelligence sources and methods, and sensitive law enforcement investigations." Mr. Bush told the Cabinet secretaries and others this strict new policy remains in effect unless he tells them otherwise -- Wolf.

BLITZER: John King at the White House, thank you very much. And the campaign to smash Taliban targets and root out terrorism, as the White House says, will take a while. So what's next?

Let's bring in CNN military analyst, retired General Wesley Clark for some analysis.

General Clark, why were day two of the airstrikes so much smaller and more limited in scope than day one?

RET. GEN. WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think we hit most of the targets that needed to be hit in the first wave to get air superiority. Typically what happens in a case like this is some missiles are moved. There are some last minute changes and maybe some last minute intelligence so you want to go back another night to clean it up, so to speak.

But what was noteworthy here was that even on the first night there was a strike against the troops, the Al Qaeda troops working for the Taliban. And so from the get-go, the forces are going to go after the troops on the ground, not just the air defenses.

BLITZER: General Clark, how long are these strikes likely to last and what happens in the next stage after the airstrikes are over with?

CLARK: Well, it's a good question because the administration's plan right now is really open-ended. What we expect to see is our episodic strikes continuing, and we'll see a gradual transition from being strikes against the enemy air bases and enemy command-and- control centers and more and more on troops.

We've probably got reconnaissance troops in there. They can use their laser designators, global positioning systems, and they can actually call the aircraft in and pinpoint the strike, enemy troops on the ground.

In addition we're probably going to see some movement by the Northern Alliance. We've got a fragmentary report today that there are forces of the Northern Alliance moving south, preparing to attack in the direction of Kabul. And it's likely that they want to take advantage of the airstrikes we've been seeing.

Look on the map here, what you can see is the Northern Alliance is up in this area. Kabul, of course, the capital, it's been fought over many times. And what we're going to see is probably a thrust in this direction or perhaps in Mazar-e-Sharif linking up with the possibility of more supplies coming in through Uzbekistan. And here in Konduz is an enclave, which has been resupplied by air, and maybe we're going to see some effort to completely cut off and eliminate that enclave.

So we're going to expect to see more fighting here. This is what the secretary of defense meant in changing the terms of the battle on the ground. And at the same time we're going to see our, probably our special forces in there calling on very accurate airstrikes against Taliban forces.

BLITZER: General Wesley Clark, thank you once again for your analysis and in Afghanistan the airstrikes are being welcomed by opponents of the Taliban. We'll go to a Northern Afghan village on the frontlines. And a new case of exposure to deadly anthrax leads the FBI to take a much closer look. We'll go live to Florida. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back on this day two of U.S. airstrikes against positions in Afghanistan. We have some live nightscope pictures that you're seeing now of Northern Afghanistan, just north of the capital of Kabul. It's quiet now, but the earlier airstrikes have been cheered by residents of the area where anti-Taliban forces have long been fighting to overthrow the regime.

CNN's Chris Burns is there and he filed this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The day after in Jebal Seraaj, a village about 20 kilometers or 15 miles from the front line north of Kabul, a village filled with hope and anxiety about the airstrikes. With no television here, radio broke the news and some stayed glued to the loud speakers for updates. One man fled Kabul with his family hours before the airstrikes began.

Ordinary people in Kabul are hoping that after U.S. strikes, the world will become secure and finally we will breathe easy, says Abdul Attit (ph). "People are terrified of the Taliban and their cruelty," he says. Not surprising to hear in this anti-Taliban stronghold. A bit surprising though, most here are taking the airstrikes so calmly, but after years of fighting the Taliban there will be victory when they see it.

These shepherds bringing their sheep to slaughter hope the killing and war can finally end. "We just want the Taliban to go away," he says. "We want the terrorists to leave our land." While the butcher chops up the latest kill, and the baker puts his wares to flame, there's no blood-thirsty discourse, just the desire to turn up the heat on the Taliban to end the crisis.

"The airstrikes are good for us," says Shah Mahmud (ph). "Maybe now we may have peace in our country. At least we might break free from this continuous bloodshed and have lasting peace."

But talk to Northern Alliance troops in this village and they're fired up for a fight, especially after the assassination of their military commander Ahmed Shas Massoud last month. Commander Said Al Rachman (ph), a father of six, watched the airstrikes from the front line. "We will fight with the last drop of our blood to seek revenge for our leader and our people who have suffered the abuse of the Taliban," he says.

For some, at least, the flames of war burn more fiercely than ever.

Chris Burns, CNN, Jebal Seeraj, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And a public health probe or a criminal investigation. Just ahead, the anthrax scare in Florida and the widening circle of people tested for exposure.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Health officials in Florida are testing hundreds of people for exposure to anthrax and a White House spokesman today described the situation as, in his words, "a source of concern." For the latest we join CNN's Mark Potter at the Palm Beach County Health Department -- Mark.

MARK POTTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening, Wolf. Investigators have been working around the clock trying to solve this mystery, but so far they have a lot more questions than answers. But here's what they do know.

One man has died from anthrax. That happened late last week. He was 63-year-old Robert Stevens. Another man who worked with him at a company called American Media has tested positive for exposure to anthrax. He does not have the disease, but he was exposed to it. He is 73-year-old Ernesto Blanco. He worked in the mailroom at a company called American Media Incorporated, which published tabloid newspapers.

Robert Stevens, the man who died, was a photo editor there.

Now investigators also say they have found a trace element of anthrax in Robert Stevens' workspace, specifically on his computer keyboard. That building has now been closed down and sealed for further investigations.

Meanwhile today hundreds of workers and visitors to the building -- anyone who visited after August 1 was urged to go to a county health facility in Delray Beach, Florida. where they were tested for possible exposure to anthrax. They were also given antibiotics and will have to take them for 60 days. In addition to the nasal swabs they were given today, they will also be given blood tests later on, and we were told that those results may not come back for days, if not longer.

So it's a very frightening time for many of these people.

Wolf, back to you.

BLITZER: OK, we'll be on top of the story. Mark Potter, thank you very much. And "CROSSFIRE" comes your way at the bottom of the hour. Bob Novak joins us now live with a preview -- Bob.

ROBERT NOVAK, CO-HOST, CNN'S "CROSSFIRE": Wolf, U.S. attacks continue against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, but the debate has begun about what's next. Should Iraq be hit? A distinguished foreign service officer and former U.S. ambassador to Iraq say no. A leading conservative and retired Army officer says yes/ Coming up at the bottom of the hour on "CROSSFIRE."

BLITZER: Thank you very much, Robert. We'll be watching and I'll be back in just a moment with a look at the latest developments, including the latest wave of airstrikes against Afghanistan. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Looking at the latest developments as "America Strikes Back." The U.S. has launched a second day of airstrikes against Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan. Some of the rockets carried a message of sorts, written on them NYPD and FDNY, a reminder of the New York police officers and fire fighters killed in last month's terror attacks.

Security at the U.S. Capitol went up a notch today. Workers began installing mylar-coated windows. This blast-resistant protection is part of an $86 million security overhaul.

And that's all the time we have tonight. Please join me again tomorrow at both 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. eastern as "America Strikes Back." Until then, thanks very much for watching. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. "CROSSFIRE" begins right now.

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