Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Says War on Terrorism Far From Over
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been delivering one core message in the last two days during his trip overseas. He says the war on terrorism is far from over. CNN's Kathleen Koch is at the Pentagon with more on that. Hello, Kathleen, and I guess the defense secretary is now in Brussels.</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he is, Judy, for a NATO meeting, as evidence to those statements of his that this war is far from over. There are today more Afghans and Afghan fighters in U.S. custody in the region. They are -- excuse me, there are more prisoners in U.S. custody from the region of Afghanistan. They are non-Afghans, one of them including American John Walker, the Taliban fighter. Also an Australian, as well as three others. And they have been flown to the U.S. Pelilu (ph), a Navy helicopter assault ship that is in the region. Now the Pentagon says that some of them are Al Qaeda, some are Taliban, they are not quite sure. All of them were taken to the ship either for medical reasons or for security reasons, or for further interrogation. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld who is, again in, Brussels, Belgium for that NATO meeting, confirms there's still plenty of resistance on the ground in Afghanistan.</s>DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: There are still a lot of Taliban in the country, and they're still armed, and it's going to take time, and energy and effort, and people will be killed in the process of trying to find them, and capture them or have them surrender.</s>KOCH: Meanwhile the pentagon today showed tape of latest U.S. Bombing runs over the Tora Bora region. One strike reportedly killing Al Qaeda fighters and damaging a cave complex there. Still, Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem says the Tora Bora region has gotten quiet, that there is Less fighting there, less chatter on the radio, and all of that perhaps giving less evidence then that Osama bin Laden remains in the area. The U.S. military saying that Pakistani soldiers have captured less than 100 fighters fleeing across the border. So U.S. and Eastern Alliance fighters continue searching that cave-pocked region of Tora Bora for more evidence of Osama bin Laden or any Al Qaeda fighters.</s>REAR ADM. JOHN STUFFLEBEEM, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: There are an indeterminable number of caves to inspect at this point, from what I can tell. So what I gather is that while the fierce fighting that we have seen up until just a few hours ago may have subsided a little bit. Now it becomes the more difficult and slower process of confirming who is left to fight, or is this cave now empty, and was there evidence that somebody was recently there.</s>KOCH: Judy, those three Marines injured Sunday in that mine- clearing operation have all now been removed from Afghanistan, taken to regional facilities for treatment. One reportedly has had his leg amputated. One Marine suffered a head injury, and the other had an injure to his hand -- Judy.</s>WOODRUFF: Kathleen, what are they saying at the Pentagon about what happens in the event these Al Qaeda fighters go across the border to Pakistan, which is pretty clear now a number of them have done. What's the agreement with Pakistan in terms of going after them?</s>KOCH: That very question came out in the briefing today. And at this point, the Pentagon is saying that U.S. special operations forces do not have permission from Pakistan to chase Al Qaeda, to chase Taliban fighters across the border. So it is there expectation that the Pakistani military lining that boarder, that very porous border, will do their best to intercept the Al Qaeda. Clearly they have some, but it's bit of difficult situation; if they were in hot pursuit, apparently they would just have to stop.</s>WOODRUFF: All right, our Kathleen Koch, reporting from the Pentagon. Thanks, Kathleen,</s>KOCH: You're welcome. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com