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U.S. Special Forces in Ghana

Aired September 25, 2002 - 05:05   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: U.S. special forces are in Ghana ready to safeguard about 100 American schoolchildren trapped inside a Christian school. The school is in the Ivory Coast, which is right next door to Ghana on the west coast of Africa. We have heard reports of gunfire near or coming from the grounds of that school.
Dan Grudda is the director of the school. He is inside right now with those American schoolchildren and his staff. He joins us live by phone.

Good morning.

DAN GRUDDA, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Tell us what it's like in there.

GRUDDA: Right now things are very clam. We've had intermittent gunfire from an area about three kilometers away toward the town and on the other side of the school this morning in about the last hour or so.

COSTELLO: Are rebel forces like on the grounds of the school?

GRUDDA: There is no one inside of this school that does not belong here to the International Christian Academy community. We have not had contact with any military forces and we do not know who is outside of our walls.

COSTELLO: How are you keeping them out? Or have they tried to get in?

GRUDDA: They have not attempted to enter our walls. They have shot bullets over and through our walls, but no one has been hurt. They have never attempted to enter our walls.

COSTELLO: How are the children doing?

GRUDDA: The children are doing remarkably well. Right now many of them are still sleeping in because it's only about 8:30 in the morning here. And they, some of them are in our gymnasium, where they're visiting and playing basketball.

COSTELLO: Did you expect something like this to ever happen?

GRUDDA: We never expected something like this to happen, certainly in this country, which has a history of peace and stability in this region.

COSTELLO: American troops are next door in Ghana ready to come to the rescue if need be. Do you welcome their presence?

GRUDDA: We certainly do. And, as a matter of fact, we made a direct request of the U.S. ambassador in Abidjan yesterday and I know that everything is being done by the U.S. government and the ambassador in Abidjan to make sure that our request can be met. And we welcome any help that they can give us.

COSTELLO: Do you know when to expect American troops to come to the school?

GRUDDA: We do not know when to expect any troops to come to the school. We have had no contact with anyone to this point. There has been very little gunfire this morning. We do not have any kind of timetable, nor do we know if they are even on their way. We have not had anything confirmed to us. We are just waiting until they are ready to do what they are ready to do.

COSTELLO: How are you getting your information?

GRUDDA: We are getting our information by radio, French radio, and foreign news reports. We also have contacts with people in town that we can call on the cell phone and on land lines. We have workers that come in and out of the school every day as they go to and from the town where they live. So we have these sources of information.

COSTELLO: OK, and we wish you the best, Dan Grudda. He is the director of that Christian school with 100 American kids inside. We understand that rebel troops are on the ground or nearby. He has heard gunfire, but U.S. troops are in Ghana next door ready to come to their aid. And, of course, we'll keep you posted as to exactly when that happens.

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 25, 2002 - 05:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. special forces are in Ghana ready to safeguard about 100 American schoolchildren trapped inside a Christian school. The school is in the Ivory Coast, which is right next door to Ghana on the west coast of Africa. We have heard reports of gunfire near or coming from the grounds of that school.
Dan Grudda is the director of the school. He is inside right now with those American schoolchildren and his staff. He joins us live by phone.

Good morning.

DAN GRUDDA, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Tell us what it's like in there.

GRUDDA: Right now things are very clam. We've had intermittent gunfire from an area about three kilometers away toward the town and on the other side of the school this morning in about the last hour or so.

COSTELLO: Are rebel forces like on the grounds of the school?

GRUDDA: There is no one inside of this school that does not belong here to the International Christian Academy community. We have not had contact with any military forces and we do not know who is outside of our walls.

COSTELLO: How are you keeping them out? Or have they tried to get in?

GRUDDA: They have not attempted to enter our walls. They have shot bullets over and through our walls, but no one has been hurt. They have never attempted to enter our walls.

COSTELLO: How are the children doing?

GRUDDA: The children are doing remarkably well. Right now many of them are still sleeping in because it's only about 8:30 in the morning here. And they, some of them are in our gymnasium, where they're visiting and playing basketball.

COSTELLO: Did you expect something like this to ever happen?

GRUDDA: We never expected something like this to happen, certainly in this country, which has a history of peace and stability in this region.

COSTELLO: American troops are next door in Ghana ready to come to the rescue if need be. Do you welcome their presence?

GRUDDA: We certainly do. And, as a matter of fact, we made a direct request of the U.S. ambassador in Abidjan yesterday and I know that everything is being done by the U.S. government and the ambassador in Abidjan to make sure that our request can be met. And we welcome any help that they can give us.

COSTELLO: Do you know when to expect American troops to come to the school?

GRUDDA: We do not know when to expect any troops to come to the school. We have had no contact with anyone to this point. There has been very little gunfire this morning. We do not have any kind of timetable, nor do we know if they are even on their way. We have not had anything confirmed to us. We are just waiting until they are ready to do what they are ready to do.

COSTELLO: How are you getting your information?

GRUDDA: We are getting our information by radio, French radio, and foreign news reports. We also have contacts with people in town that we can call on the cell phone and on land lines. We have workers that come in and out of the school every day as they go to and from the town where they live. So we have these sources of information.

COSTELLO: OK, and we wish you the best, Dan Grudda. He is the director of that Christian school with 100 American kids inside. We understand that rebel troops are on the ground or nearby. He has heard gunfire, but U.S. troops are in Ghana next door ready to come to their aid. And, of course, we'll keep you posted as to exactly when that happens.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com