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McIntyre: 'Expect a night of heavy bombing in Afghanistan'

CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre:
CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre: "Attacks will include long-range U.S. bombers."  


(CNN) -- CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre updated his report from the Pentagon's briefing room about 90 minutes after the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan were announced by U.S. President Bush.

MCINTYRE: We have some new details.

Pentagon sources now tell CNN that these attacks will include long-range U.S. bombers -- including B-2 bombers -- flying out of Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

Also there are to be B-1 and B-52 bombers, both flying out of the British base of Diego Garcia, using sometimes satellite-guided munitions and sometimes carpet bombing against some of the positions, including training camps in Afghanistan.

These attacks now, I'm told, will continue through the night -- (there will) probably be another five hours of attacks (to roughly 7:30 p.m. EDT).

This is a very substantial attack that's being mounted from the air -- sea-launch cruise missiles, carrier-based aircraft and now, we're told, long-range bombers, some flying from the United States.

The B-2 is using the "joint-direct" attack munitions guided by GPS (global positioning satellite), extremely accurate. But we're also told that the B-52s and B-1s may be involved in some carpet bombing, much as they did in Operation Desert Fox, for the B-1s, and the B-52s in Kosovo were also used to bomb fielded forces with carpet bombing.

In addition, Pentagon sources tell CNN there will be one food drop during this action to Afghan refugees. Humanitarian daily rations, specially configured for the relief effort, will be dropped from a C-17 to refugees in camps in Afghanistan. And these drops will continue in days to come.

So it does look like this is a very substantial attack from there air. There's no indication now that U.S. troops will be put in on the ground in Afghanistan.

We're beyond the second wave. Expect a night of heavy bombing in Afghanistan.






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