Marines fire againts credible threat in desert

(6 Dec 2001) VIDEO ONLY - MUTE 1. Wide shot of Camp Rhino 2. Close up of bullet ridden watch tower 3. Soldiers in sandbagged check post 4. Soldier on jeep 5. Close up of soldier in check post 6. Wide shot of airstrip with Helicopters 7. Close up of Helicopter preparing for lift off 8. US ground staff 9. Helicopter taking off 10. Wide shot of US troops in desert camp 11. Various of soldier digging hole 12. Soldier with Machine gun 13. Soldiers in Camp Rhino 14. Various of soldiers checking weapons 15. Close up of hand written sign with "Commander Task Force 58" on it 16. Various of female soldiers eating food 17. Various of soldiers cleaning equipment 18. Various of sunset over camp 19. Various night time shots of Camp Rhino STORYLINE: U.S. Marines at a base in southern Afghanistan fired mortars to repel what a spokesman said was "almost certainly" an attempt by Taliban forces to scout-out their defenses. Flares lit up the flat, dusty desert around Camp Rhino as high-explosive shells exploded in the distance. "We're almost positive it is enemy probing" said Capt. Stewart Upton, a Marine Corps spokesman. He said it was clear that whoever was moving outside the perimeter had "hostile intent." Journalists in the camp, who were issued military flak jackets and helmets, could see no incoming fire. However, they heard shouting outside the camp and the sound of gunfire. Helicopters made sweeps overhead in the clear night sky. The base went on high alert on Thursday night because of what another spokesman, Capt. David T. Romley, called a "credible threat." He said armoured reconnaissance vehicles were sent into the desert to try to identify the intruders and direct mortar fire. Defense Department rules governing the journalists' presence in the camp forbid reporting on exact operational measures being taken. Since the Marines seized this desert airstrip on 25 November, their only combat operation came on their second day, when Cobra helicopter gun ships from the base helped warplanes from elsewhere attack a suspected hostile convoy that passed nearby. But the Marines said Wednesday that they were moving into position around the Taliban's last stronghold, Kandahar, to make sure the Taliban don't escape or bring in reinforcements. Marines from Base Rhino were called into action on Wednesday after an errant U.S. bomb killed three U.S. servicemen and five anti-Taliban Afghan fighters, and wounded 19 Americans and around 20 Afghans. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...