*EPF203 12/18/2001
Defense Department Report, December 18: Afghanistan Operations
(Wolfowitz: Hunt for al-Qaida to continue after Afghanistan) (500)

HUNT FOR AL-QAIDA WILL CONTINUE AFTER AFGHANISTAN

The United States will be looking for places that senior al-Qaida terrorists might be trying to escape to, or where al-Qaida operatives are spotted, after its goals in Afghanistan have been accomplished, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

Briefing journalists at the Pentagon December 18 with Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace, Wolfowitz added that "the president's made it very clear what the broad objective is. The question of timing and tactics is a very complicated and a fairly subtle one."

Asked about a news report that Yemen had sent special forces on a raid of suspected al-Qaida personnel, Wolfowitz said he was unaware of the report. "I do know that for some time we've been concerned that there are areas of Yemen ... where we believe al-Qaida people have sheltered and may be there now.... [W]e have been urging the Yemenis to do more," he said.

WORK REMAINS TO BE DONE IN AFGHANISTAN

Wolfowitz began the briefing by stating, "[T]here's still a great deal more work to be done in Afghanistan." He said al-Qaida and armed Taliban forces, along with their senior leaders, remain at large.

"[W]e can expect half-defeated enemies to continue to pose considerable dangers and risks to our troops," Wolfowitz added.

FBI HAS AGENTS IN AFGHANISTAN

The deputy defense secretary acknowledged that the FBI has agents in Afghanistan to assist in questioning some of the 20 enemy detainees currently in U.S. custody. "The FBI ... has a great deal of information about the structure of al-Qaida, about the role of key leaders. And when you get into an interrogation ... obviously you do a much better job questioning people if you have some idea what the answers are," Wolfowitz said.

POSSIBLE WMD SITES INCREASING

Pace said a few sites have been added to the previous listing of about 40 in Afghanistan where it is believed that testing of weapons of mass destruction may have taken place. The number of sites is now closer to 50, he said. In each case, the site is examined systematically to determine what went on there. In a couple of instances, Pace said, documentation has been found, but it is not linked with any physical evidence.


Pace said that, as of briefing time, no aerial bombing attacks had been made on December 18 in Afghanistan. Refuting the suggestion that this represents a shift in U.S. tactics, Pace said some days there are many targets, while other days there are not. He described it as "a natural transition" from having the enemy in control of most territory to having friendly forces mainly in control.

"Sometimes the best weapons system is an individual with a rifle. Other times, the best weapons system is a plane with a bomb on it," he said.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents