Rumsfeld: CIA Has Freer Military Role

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday revealed a wider, less-regulated role for the CIA in Afghanistan.

WAR ON TERRORISM About Afghanistan Bush's Handling Of War? Know Your Afghanistan Facts MORE LINKS From Department of Justice: Al-Qaida Training Manual World Time Clock: Time In Afghanistan?

The Pentagon chief told reporters that the agency has been secretly operating armed, remote-controlled spy aircraft in Afghanistan for years.

Rumsfeld said the CIA, in an effort to locate and track Osama bin Laden, has long been controlling the armed Predator aircraft, such as the one that fired a Hellfire missile Feb. 4 on what U.S. military officials believe was a convoy of vehicles containing al-Qaida leaders.

Those killed in the attack now are the subject of an inquiry. Local Afghans claim the victims were innocents.

For that reason, Rumsfeld said the agency has complete authority now to operate and fire the armed Predator and doesn't need permission from the Defense Department.

Probe Results On Mistaken U.S. Raid Pending

A full investigation of last month's U.S. raid of a suspected Taliban compound is expected in a few weeks.

The results should determine exactly who was killed or captured when U.S. special forces troops attacked a suspected Taliban compound north of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

The 27 Afghans who were captured were later turned over to the Afghan Interim Authority. Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said U.S. officials have determined they were neither Taliban nor terrorist leaders.

Rear Adm. John Stufflebeem said on Monday that there's no evidence to support reports that U.S. soldiers beat those held in captivity.

However, it's unclear whether some of those killed were innocent. Stufflebeem noted that the shifting loyalties of Afghans makes it difficult to determine friend from foe, adding that the situation in Afghanistan is "a shadow war" with "shadowy people who don't want to be found."

U.S. Soldier Wounded By Land Mine

The Afghan terrain continues to be a dangerous place for American troops.

A U.S. Army soldier was wounded in a land-mine blast south of the Kandahar airport, U.S. military officials said. They did not say when the incident happened.

The soldier's name wasn't released, but military officials said his injuries aren't life-threatening.