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Rumsfeld, Myers Give Update on U.S. Anti-Terror War Effort
Thursday, January 3, 2002
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

"One has to appreciate the difficulty of tracking down a single human being anywhere."

WASHINGTON -- AFIS
In his first news conference of 2002, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said today there is a lot left to do in Afghanistan, and the war on terrorism will be pursued wherever it leads.

Rumsfeld and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also told Pentagon reporters that Al Qaeda and Taliban detainees under U.S. control would be shipped to the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as soon as facilities are ready. U.S. forces currently hold 248 detainees – 225 in Kandahar, 14 at Bagram air base, eight aboard the USS Bataan and one in Mazar-e Sharif.

In the operations in Afghanistan, U.S. personnel continue to try to find the Al Qaeda and Taliban leadership. Myers said that as the search continues, personnel have found intelligence in various pockets … "some of which has been fruitful in stopping terrorist acts around the world." Security concerns stopped Myers from giving any specifics.

Myers also said that the United States would close Camp Rhino – the forward base Marines established in southern Afghanistan in November. The former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar will become the hub of U.S. activity in the southern region.
(More: DoD News Source)
2001 © The United States Department of Defense.

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