Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live At Daybreak
International News Desk
Aired September 20, 2002 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, we're following many international stories throughout the day and it is that time when our senior international editor Eli Flournoy joins us again.
And there has been a lot happening in Afghanistan.
ELI FLOURNOY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.
COSTELLO: Violence there.
FLOURNOY: Yes. Yes. We're covering several stories out in Afghanistan. We've got Mike Chinoy covering. There's a major conflict. U.S. forces came under attack earlier today. And also in Kandahar, we've got an interesting story going on. There are a number of -- many people may not know that there are a number of U.S. soldiers who are not U.S. citizens but are, serve the U.S. military and President Bush has recently waived many of the restrictions on becoming a citizen for U.S. soldiers. And...
COSTELLO: So where are these soldiers coming from? They're serving in the U.S. military and they just come from other...
FLOURNOY: Yes, they may be residents of the United States but not yet U.S. citizens. And in Kandahar we have our own Tomas Elzier, who is hopefully going to join us now live on video phone -- Tomas, tell us a little bit about what's going on there in Kandahar.
TOMAS ELZIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Eli.
Indeed, one doesn't have to be an American citizen to serve in the American armed forces. As a matter of fact, now, out of 1.4 million armed forces, over 31,000 soldiers are not American citizens. They have to wait, as everybody, civilian citizens, they have to have three years of active duty before they can apply for American citizenship.
This all changed on July the 4th, when President Bush, in his address on July the 4th, waived those three years and announced that whoever is serving on active duty in Operation Enduring Freedom and in the war of terrorism can apply for an American citizenship immediately.
FLOURNOY: Now, Tomas...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
FLOURNOY: Yes, we have some video that shows some of the things that the soldiers over there are going through. If we can show. They're getting fingerprinted. And what all is required for them now to go through this process?
ELZIER: Well, they have to fill out the applications, as you said. Their photographs are being taken and they will be fingerprinted. The fingerprints are to match the FBI files that nobody is being seeked by FBI and that process will start. It will still take approximately one year, maybe in some cases a year and a half for them to obtain their citizenship. But everybody, of course, is very happy.
Here in Kandahar so far, 108 soldiers from 22 countries applied, countries like Bangladesh, Iran, some Micronesian island countries in Pacific Islands, Ukraine, Poland, from five continents -- Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas -- Eli.
FLOURNOY: And Tomas, is there any precedent for this kind of move by President Bush? Has this happened in the past?
ELZIER: Yes. This happened in the past, before, after the First and Second World War and the Korean War, the same or similar executive order was issued. Then President Carter issued another executive order of this type after the Vietnam War and finally President Clinton issued a similar order after the Gulf War. Soldiers are greeting this with joy because although they are in the armed forces, being not American citizens they cannot, you know, advance their careers as American citizens can.
After they receive their American citizenship, they will be able to work in areas of the army which are now very strictly watched because of the intelligence clearance such as, for example, they can become air crews. They can work with computers and electronics. They can join Navy Seals, special forces or National Guard.
FLOURNOY: OK, great.
Thanks very much, Tomas.
And I have to tell you, Tomas is our one man band show out in Kandahar out there. Look at him. He's shooting himself. He's doing the reporting, producing, technical, calling in, coordinating. He's doing it all.
You're doing a great job, Tomas. Thanks very much.
COSTELLO: That's amazing, he's shooting himself so he set the camera up and it's pointing at him and...
FLOURNOY: I know. The poor guy, we just sent him out there all by himself.
COSTELLO: Well, he does a terrific job out there.
FLOURNOY: Yes, exactly.
COSTELLO: Eli, thank you very much. FLOURNOY: Great.
COSTELLO: We'll let you get back to work right now.
FLOURNOY: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 20, 2002 - 05:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Of course, we're following many international stories throughout the day and it is that time when our senior international editor Eli Flournoy joins us again.
And there has been a lot happening in Afghanistan.
ELI FLOURNOY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.
COSTELLO: Violence there.
FLOURNOY: Yes. Yes. We're covering several stories out in Afghanistan. We've got Mike Chinoy covering. There's a major conflict. U.S. forces came under attack earlier today. And also in Kandahar, we've got an interesting story going on. There are a number of -- many people may not know that there are a number of U.S. soldiers who are not U.S. citizens but are, serve the U.S. military and President Bush has recently waived many of the restrictions on becoming a citizen for U.S. soldiers. And...
COSTELLO: So where are these soldiers coming from? They're serving in the U.S. military and they just come from other...
FLOURNOY: Yes, they may be residents of the United States but not yet U.S. citizens. And in Kandahar we have our own Tomas Elzier, who is hopefully going to join us now live on video phone -- Tomas, tell us a little bit about what's going on there in Kandahar.
TOMAS ELZIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Eli.
Indeed, one doesn't have to be an American citizen to serve in the American armed forces. As a matter of fact, now, out of 1.4 million armed forces, over 31,000 soldiers are not American citizens. They have to wait, as everybody, civilian citizens, they have to have three years of active duty before they can apply for American citizenship.
This all changed on July the 4th, when President Bush, in his address on July the 4th, waived those three years and announced that whoever is serving on active duty in Operation Enduring Freedom and in the war of terrorism can apply for an American citizenship immediately.
FLOURNOY: Now, Tomas...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
FLOURNOY: Yes, we have some video that shows some of the things that the soldiers over there are going through. If we can show. They're getting fingerprinted. And what all is required for them now to go through this process?
ELZIER: Well, they have to fill out the applications, as you said. Their photographs are being taken and they will be fingerprinted. The fingerprints are to match the FBI files that nobody is being seeked by FBI and that process will start. It will still take approximately one year, maybe in some cases a year and a half for them to obtain their citizenship. But everybody, of course, is very happy.
Here in Kandahar so far, 108 soldiers from 22 countries applied, countries like Bangladesh, Iran, some Micronesian island countries in Pacific Islands, Ukraine, Poland, from five continents -- Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas -- Eli.
FLOURNOY: And Tomas, is there any precedent for this kind of move by President Bush? Has this happened in the past?
ELZIER: Yes. This happened in the past, before, after the First and Second World War and the Korean War, the same or similar executive order was issued. Then President Carter issued another executive order of this type after the Vietnam War and finally President Clinton issued a similar order after the Gulf War. Soldiers are greeting this with joy because although they are in the armed forces, being not American citizens they cannot, you know, advance their careers as American citizens can.
After they receive their American citizenship, they will be able to work in areas of the army which are now very strictly watched because of the intelligence clearance such as, for example, they can become air crews. They can work with computers and electronics. They can join Navy Seals, special forces or National Guard.
FLOURNOY: OK, great.
Thanks very much, Tomas.
And I have to tell you, Tomas is our one man band show out in Kandahar out there. Look at him. He's shooting himself. He's doing the reporting, producing, technical, calling in, coordinating. He's doing it all.
You're doing a great job, Tomas. Thanks very much.
COSTELLO: That's amazing, he's shooting himself so he set the camera up and it's pointing at him and...
FLOURNOY: I know. The poor guy, we just sent him out there all by himself.
COSTELLO: Well, he does a terrific job out there.
FLOURNOY: Yes, exactly.
COSTELLO: Eli, thank you very much. FLOURNOY: Great.
COSTELLO: We'll let you get back to work right now.
FLOURNOY: OK.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
