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CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL

Increasing Emphasis on Going After Troop Positions

Aired October 18, 2001 - 06:40   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: With more now on the military operation, let's go to CNN national correspondent, Bob Franken, at the Pentagon.

Bob, does it look like the Navy jets are sort of shifting from the mixed targets and concentrating more on the mobile troops positions now?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's been the case for the last couple of days. There has been an increasing emphasis on going after troop positions, as opposed to the hardware, such as surface-to-air missiles, that type of thing. And they have come up with combat zones. Sometimes they're called kill boxes.

And the way that works is that one of the planes operates as an observer and will direct the other planes that are making their bombing runs to targets on the spot. It is an effort to try and be a little bit more flexible on exactly what is hit -- to hit what they continue to call "emerging targets."

And they continue to have heavy bombardment, as I said, particularly on the troop areas. They even used land-based jets for the first time -- F-15s, which came from the North Arab Peninsula. The F-15s, of course, just add another element to that. They are also capable, if necessary, to drop the so-called bunker-buster missiles, but they have not done so yet, according to our sources.

There is also a continuing propaganda campaign aimed at the Taliban troops, trying to make them scared to death actually, trying to tell them that there's a real futility in their efforts to try and fight the U.S.-led offensive. There is a plane that's called the Commander Control -- Commando Control -- excuse me -- which flies around, beaming radio broadcasts in the local languages.

But the English translation goes something like this -- quite menacing: "You are condemned. Our helicopters will rain fire down upon your camps. Our bombs are so accurate, we can drop them right through your windows. Our infantry is trained for any climate and terrain on Earth. You have only one choice: surrender now."

In addition, there is another part of the broadcast, which is really quite interesting. It reads: "When you decide to surrender, approach United States forces with your hands in the air."

United States forces, suggesting of course, that there will be United States forces on the ground for them to surrender to -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Also the Kitty Hawk, I understand, gearing up, Bob, for the special operations. Does this mean that commando raids could be happening soon?

FRANKEN: Well, it means that they could happen soon. Defense officials confirmed to CNN yesterday that the Kitty Hawk, which is an aircraft carrier that left Japan -- left, as we've been reporting for quite some time without its full compliment of aircraft -- leaving room for forces to be based and helicopters to be based.

And now, we're hearing that, in fact, those helicopters and those forces in the last couple of days have been placed on the Kitty Hawk. They are now in place in case operations are going to go on from there.

PHILLIPS: Bob Franken with the latest from the Pentagon -- thank you so much.

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