The September 11th attack | America strikes back
Bomber pilots say training runs more difficult
Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON — U.S. pilots and other crew members who flew bombing missions over Afghanistan yesterday said the strikes went smoothly under enemy fire.
Associated Press library photo
"We were well briefed by the people who put the package together for us," said a radar operator aboard a B-52 bomber, who identified himself as "Doc," his radio call sign. "We went out and did what we were supposed to."
B-52s, other bombers and carrier-based warplanes struck military targets and Osama bin Laden's training camps yesterday, said Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Richard Myers.
The U.S. planes drew defensive fire, according to five crew members made available for interviews by the Department of Defense. The crews declined to reveal detailed information, including their names, saying only they didn't feel threatened.
"We've faced much more challenging sorties in our normal training," said "Vinny," an offensive systems officer on a B-1B bomber.
The air strikes began about 12:30 p.m. Washington time yesterday, when U.S. and British warships and at least 35 planes attacked air defense sites, terrorist training camps and airfields in Afghanistan, said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Four U.S. Navy warships and U.S. and British submarines launched 50 satellite-guided Raytheon Co. Tomahawk cruise missiles, while 15 land-based U.S. bombers, including B-2 stealth bombers, dropped bombs.
The primary objective, Rumsfeld said, was to allow sustained U.S. military action and humanitarian assistance.
"Our objective is to defeat those who use terrorism and those who house them," Rumsfeld said. The strikes are "not about a religion or an individual."
Kabul, Kandahar hit
The ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan has been accused of harboring Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in Sept. 11 terrorist assaults on New York and Washington that left more than 5,000 people dead or missing.
Explosions were reported near Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the northeast city of Jalalabad, and the southern city of Kandahar, which is home to the Taliban militia's headquarters, CNN reported. A Taliban spokesman confirmed that the Taliban's command and radar systems at the airport had been destroyed, CNN reported, quoting an unnamed official.
More than 20 people were killed in Kabul in the overnight strikes, according to Agence France Presse, which cited the Afghan Islamic Press agency.
U.S. military officials said the attacks could continue for several days, CNN said.
Non-stop from U.S.
Two B-2 bombers dropped bombs after flying nonstop from Whiteman Air Force Base in the U.S. state of Missouri. U.S. B-52 and B-1B bombers were launched from the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Another 25 U.S. F-14 and F-18 fighters flew from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean to drop precision-guided and cluster-bombs, officials said.
The bombers dropped a combination of Boeing. Co. satellite- guided guided munitions and 500-pound unguided bombs. B-1B bombers dropped the unguided munitions on Taliban training camps, said a Pentagon official. The B-2s carried up to 16 of the 2,000-pound guided bombs, officials said.
The Tomahawks were launched from the submarines Providence and HMS Trafalgar and U.S. warships Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and three destroyers: the John Paul Jones, the O'Brien and the McFaul.
'Super Bowl day'
U.S. air crews described a patriotic scene, with military personnel waving flags as they took off. Some heard part of President George W. Bush's televised speech to the nation. One B- 52 took off with its nose cone painted: "NYPD We Remember," in honor of New York police who died in the attacks.
"The president is counting on you to do a job and the people are counting on you to do a job an you see the flags waving you off — you feel like part of a special team," said "Doc."
"It's like being a football player on Super Bowl day," said "Vinny."
The crews were notified of the strikes "days or hours" in advance and were given time to be with family before they departed, said a B-52 pilot whose call sign is "Woodstock."
Most said they were nervous. All said they were heavily trained. "My crew did not experience any threat that we were not prepared to deal with," said "Woodstock."
In parallel with the air strikes, two Boeing Co. C-17 transports are scheduled to drop about 37,500 food ration packages to Afghan refugees. They are a civilian version of the military food packages that are dispensed to U.S. soldiers.
