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U.S. war commander says anti-terror efforts ongoing around world
By PAUL GARWOOD
Associated Press Writer
12/25/01
ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT — The commander of the American-led military campaign in Afghanistan said Tuesday that anti-terrorism operations are being conducted "in a great many places" around the world in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
On a Christmas Day visit to sailors in the Arabian Sea, Gen. Tommy Franks said America's potential anti-terror hit list extends outside the Middle East.
"It is too early to suggest which countries, but it is not too early to remind ourselves that September 11 put us on course ... to root out this terrorist problem around the world," Franks, commander in chief of U.S. Central Command, told The Associated Press.
"If you look within this region ... and other places around the planet, you find a lot of states which we categorize as sponsors of terrorism," Franks told the AP.
As a result, overt and covert U.S. military operations are "going on in a great many places ... that are designed to do away with these pockets of terrorism," he said without giving details.
Franks addressed about 1,000 sailors in the hangar bay aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, telling them the ongoing war in Afghanistan was "about you and ... about (protecting) your grandbabies and my grandbabies" from future terrorist attacks.
Franks is in charge of all military operations inside Afghanistan, where U.S. forces launched devastating airstrikes on Oct. 7 to pave the way for removing the Taliban government and to rid the nation of al-Qaida terrorists accused in the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.
The United States says Osama bin Laden masterminded those attacks.
Despite the intensive bombardment of Taliban and al-Qaida targets, U.S. forces have not given up the hunt for bin Laden, even if he is buried under rubble inside one of the Tora Bora mountain caves in the country's northeast, Franks said.
"(We will) go through each of these areas until we satisfy ourselves that he is there and dead. We'll find out about it," Franks said.
Franks paid a Christmas visit to the two U.S. aircraft carriers currently operating in the northern Arabian Gulf _ the Theodore Roosevelt and John C. Stennis. Each carrier leads a battle group of destroyers, cruisers, submarines and warplanes.
"Your country loves you, I love you. You are so special that it waters my eyes when I have a chance to come out here and see you," Franks told Roosevelt sailors.
"This is about the people on this magnificent war machine serving their country one half of a world from everything that is important to them ... but this is also what this business of (Operation) Enduring Freedom is all about."
Christmas Day was a normal working day for the Roosevelt's 5,500 sailors with the exceptions of a reduced number of sorties launched over Afghanistan and some planes having Santa Claus hats painted on tail wings.
Cooks in the ship's giant messes dished up a Christmas dinner that included turkey, ham, beef and sweet potato pie.
On the flight deck, as the sun set over the Arabian Gulf, the loudspeakers blared "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Bruce Springsteen.
APNP-12-25-01 1203CST