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Q: I wanted to ask about... The Pentagon yesterday released some reconnaissance photographs showing the first bomb damage from the August 20th strikes on the suspected terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. In particular, one of the pictures purports to show a row of buildings, five buildings, which we're told was housing for top officials in Osama bin Laden's organization. Can you tell us what those pictures show in terms of the effectiveness of the U.S. strikes?
A: Well, first of all I should point out for those of you who have not seen these pictures, that they're available on our Web site that is available to almost anybody who has computer capability.
What these pictures show is that there was significant destruction to this particular site that was struck. It is an indication that these facilities that were being used by this terrorist group are not out of the reach of the United States and where we can locate them and where we can disrupt their planning and their infrastructure, we have the capability to do so.
Q: Was Osama bin Laden believed to be in that complex of buildings at the time the strikes took place?
A: We knew at the time the strikes took place that there was going to be a meeting of these terrorists for the purpose of planning further attacks against U.S. people, and U.S. facilities. And our actions, if you will recall the statements of the leadership at the time, were designed to disrupt that kind of activity, and we believe they were very effective in doing so.
Q: Subsequently, we obviously now know that Osama bin Laden survived the attacks because he has given interviews. Again, I'd just ask my question again. Was he believed to be at that location when the attack took place?
A: At the time the attack took place, we knew that there was going to be a meeting of Osama bin Laden's organization. The attack was against the infrastructure and the planning that was going to be going on at the time. The attack was not against any specific individual, and I think most of you are aware that we have long said that military forces are not an effective tool to be used against individuals.
Q: I want to ask one more time, but you only get four possible answers. [Laughter] The question is, was Osama bin Laden at the site at the time of the attack? And your possible answers are: yes, no, I don't know, I'm not going to say. [Laughter]
A: Let me get back to you. [Laughter]
Q: Can you say how this significant destruction was brought about? By what weapon system?
A: No, we have never announced the weapon systems that were used.
Q: Why not?
A: Again, to the extent that we can, we talk about the capabilities of our weapon systems. On this particular occasion we elected not to get into the specifics of the types of weapons that were used, nor the particular starting points for the launch of those weapons.
Q: Why can we have so many pictures be displayed of the types of destruction that were obtained against Iraq -- and that doesn't seem to be any problem with telegraphing to Saddam Hussein what kind of weapons are being used against him; but for some reason Osama bin Laden isn't supposed to know what's being used against him? I don't quite get it.
A: I think we look at these things on a case by case basis. In this particular case, with this particular group, we felt that it was appropriate not to provide detailed information on what weapon systems we used in these instances.
Q: Aren't you really in effect just keeping from the American people what types of weapons systems are used?
A: No. Actually, we would love to, and have on many occasions, talked about the effectiveness of our weapon systems, and certainly at some point in time we may be able to do that in these cases. But to this point, we have not released that kind of... that level of information.
Q: There seems to be a growing ability on the part of the Pentagon to use those reasons, rationalizations, whatever you want to call them, for a lack of willingness to discuss certain types of operations. Is there an individual behind this, such as Gen. Shelton, who is not really quite as open as perhaps other Chairmen might have been? Or perhaps is this more a reflection of the Secretary's feelings? Where is this coming from inside the bureaucracy of the building?
A: I think that it's coming from the fact that we are facing in this age a variety of threats, on a variety of fronts, from groups that have not been threats before. Groups that are transnational, groups that are very well financed, groups that carry out their attacks in a very stealthy manner. They do not operate as organized threats have in the past, and as such, at this point in time we believe that our withholding of certain pieces of information is appropriate.
Q: Can you confirm that there is planning going on in this building for future strikes against Mr. bin Laden's associates in Afghanistan? And since you probably won't do that, can you reassure his associates that you're not going to strike?
A: I can neither confirm any upcoming military operations, nor can I say that no such operations will be undertaken. In fact I would say that based on the actions that we took in this particular case, we demonstrated that these organizations, where we can identify them and locate them, are not outside of our reach. And where we feel that we are threatened, we have the capability to take action which is not only appropriate but highly effective.
Q: I just want to get back to this picture again that was released yesterday showing the five buildings. As we look at that picture, can we take from that that two of the buildings were destroyed and the other three were missed? Of the five buildings there were three missed and two hit?
A: There was almost total destruction of two of the buildings. There was significant damage to the other three, but not total destruction.
.............Press: Thank you.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan1999/t01141999_t0114asd.html