07 December 2001
Defense Department Report, December 7: Afghanistan Operations
(General Franks says Kandahar situation remains unstable) (460)
After 62 days of combat, Afghanistan remains a "very dangerous
environment," according to the head of the U.S. Central Command
(CENTCOM), General Tommy Franks.
Briefing journalists at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida
December 7, Franks said the situation in Kandahar remains unstable.
Though "a great many" Taliban forces inside Kandahar have surrendered,
Franks said he still lacks "a sense of comfort" that the situation
there is stable, and added that he expects that to continue to be true
for two or three more days. He acknowledged that Taliban forces have
been fleeing from Kandahar with their weapons, though not in large
numbers, and that they are being engaged when located.
Franks said the U.S. Marines inside Afghanistan engaged enemy forces
on two occasions December 6: once while interdicting roads north of
their forward operating base, and again when attacking "a small
threat" to the base itself. He said the Marines "used some helicopter
firepower" as well as some of their "ground systems" in the
engagements.
In addition to Kandahar, Franks said U.S. and coalition forces are
"interested" in -- among other locations -- a mountainous area called
Malawa about 50 miles southeast of Jalalabad along the border with
Pakistan, because non-Afghan Taliban and al-Qaida fighters may be
located there. He said the Tora Bora area remains a focus for the same
reason. And he noted that a "pocket" of Taliban forces south of
Konduz, in the vicinity of Baghlan, are negotiating with opposition
leaders in Konduz.
Asked if Uzbekistan had conditions for opening the Friendship Bridge
into Afghanistan so that humanitarian supplies in volume could be
brought in overland, Franks said the concerns were whether the bridge
would be able to handle the expected heavy traffic, whether it might
be booby-trapped, and whether the security situation there was stable
enough to proceed.
"I believe that the bridge will be open in the next two or three
days," Franks said.
Franks briefed along with coalition members Air Marshal G.E. "Jock"
Stirrup of Great Britain and Brigadier General Kenneth Gillespie of
Australia. Both officers acknowledged that their respective countries
have forces operating on the ground inside Afghanistan. In addition,
Stirrup said the British have contributed air "assets," surface ships
and submarines.
Gillespie, noting that Australian officers were in the Pentagon when
it was hit by the terrorist attack on September 11th, and that dozens
of Australians died that morning in New York's World Trade Center,
said Australia is contributing ground, air and maritime assets to the
military effort.
(The Washington File is a product of the U.S. Department of State,
Office of International Information Programs. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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