CBS Evening News (6:30 PM ET) September 28, 2001
American defense forces continue to prepare in Afghanistan
DAN RATHER, anchor: A senior US military commander tells CBS News that reports widely circulated by some media today that American commando units are inside Afghanistan to hunt down bin Laden are, and I quote him directly now, "crap through and through." But preparations to possibly do that are under way. For what the military says are the hard facts on those operations, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.
DAVID MARTIN reporting: This is one target, one of Osama bin Laden's terrorist training camps, a collection of huts and tunnels tucked into Afghanistan's rugged landscape.
Afghanistan
Space Imaging's IKONOS satellite one-meter resolution image of the Darunta terrorist training complex in Afghanistan. |
MARTIN: Independent analyst John Pike is working from commercial satellite photos taken nearly two years ago. The satellite photos the Pentagon has are much more detailed and up-to-date, but that doesn't eliminate the risk of sending in ground troops.
Mr. PIKE: Finding these targets isn't going to be that difficult. Watching out for booby traps, watching out for ambushes--those would be the big concerns.
MARTIN: After bin Laden operatives blew up two US embassies in Africa, the Pentagon drew up a plan for sending commando teams into his camps, but it was rejected as too risky. Instead, the US fired cruise missiles which dug up dirt and knocked down huts but did no lasting damage. This time, the US is preparing to take that risk.
Mr. PIKE: The concern about special operations going into those tunnels, of course, is that it's quite probable that they've booby trapped, quite possible that mines have been laid in the area.
MARTIN: With the CIA already operating in parts of Afghanistan controlled by guerrillas fighting the Taliban regime, commando units are starting to move into positions just outside Afghanistan from which they could launch assaults on bin Laden's camps if the Taliban doesn't turn him over. The Taliban has told bin Laden his holy war against America is hurting the cause of Muslims worldwide, but US officials still see no indication the Taliban intends to turn him over.
And turning over bin Laden is only one of the America's demands. The Taliban must also close down the camps and allow the US to come in and inspect them. Dan.
RATHER: David Martin at the Defense Department.
Copyright 2001 CBS News
