Bin Laden Still Pentagon Priority
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The hunt for Osama bin Laden and the bombing raids in the area where he is believed to be hiding remain the top priorities over at the Pentagon. CNN's Kathleen Koch is there, with the latest -- Kathleen.</s>KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, despite the many successes against the Taliban that the U.S. military has had thus far, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz today stressed, quote, "it ain't over yet." U.S. aircraft continue dropping bombs in the region of Tora Bora, where reports tend to put Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda forces. However, the fighting there is so fierce that the Pentagon says it has been practically impossible for U.S. forces to get into the region and determine whether or not anyone there has been killed or how many al Qaeda fighters might remain. The Defense Department still does believe that when it comes to Taliban leader Mullah Omar, that he remains in the Kandahar region -- not maybe necessarily inside the city itself, but perhaps in small surrounding towns. The Pentagon says, though, numerous Taliban fighters in Kandahar have managed to slip away.</s>PAUL WOLFOWITZ, DEP. DEFENSE SECRETARY: A lot of what's produced the progress here, especially most recently, have been people deciding, like rats, to leave a sinking ship. But we didn't have whole perimeter of the ship guarded, so those people are loose. I don't think -- for the most part -- I don't believe that it was any kind of covert deal with the anti-Taliban forces. It was just, I think, almost inevitable that lot of these people would get away.</s>KOCH: Wolfowitz says that opposition forces in the region have managed to capture roughly three Taliban leaders and are holding them at this point. The deputy defense secretary called "disgusting" this tape of Osama bin Laden that reportedly shows him discussing the planning of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Wolfowitz said that the Pentagon would like to release the tapes so that Americans and those around the world can see them and judge for themselves. However, it is working with intelligence officials so that no sources or methods would be compromised if that happens -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Kathleen Koch, over at the Pentagon, thank you very much. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com