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CNN Live At Daybreak

Seven American Ex-POWs Make Short Appearance

Aired April 18, 2003 - 06:52   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: Just about, oh, 50 minutes ago, those seven American ex-POWs made a short appearance at the Landstuhl medical facility in Germany. They waved to the crowd, spoke a few words.
We want to go back to Germany right now and check in again with Matthew Chance -- and Matthew, as they were introduced, it was -- are you ready, Matthew?

As they were introduced it was rather a dramatic introduction.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I certainly am, Carol.

It was a very dramatic introduction by Commander David Rubenstein. Also, a very short press briefing, though, a very short press statement by the seven rescued prisoners of war. They came out onto the balcony behind me and just said how much they're still praying and thinking of their comrades still in action inside Iraq.

Not very much coming from them, though, about what their condition is.

For that, we're going to have to turn to Colonel David Rubenstein himself, the commander of the U.S. medical facility here in Landstuhl, Germany.

Thank you very much, Colonel, for being with us.

COL. DAVID RUBENSTEIN, COMMANDER, LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CENTER: Certainly.

CHANCE: First of all, let me ask you what is the general condition of those seven prisoners of war? There's a lot of concern about them.

RUBENSTEIN: Well, we're proud to say they're not prisoners of war anymore. These seven soldiers are in excellent condition. Their injuries are relatively minor. Three have been shot, have suffered gunshot wounds. The most serious of the three, of course, you saw, was in a wheelchair. All three are going to recover very well and they have an excellent prognosis.

Likewise, their spirits are very high. They are working with each other. They're working with the debriefers and they are in very good spirits.

CHANCE: Yes, I was going to say, I mean one of the big concerns for people who have been through such a traumatic ordeal is how it will have affected them psychologically.

What's being done here to give them a helping hand?

RUBENSTEIN: Three things are being done here. Number one is we're ensuring that their physical condition is evaluated, assessed and we're providing medical care to them. Secondly, we're providing them an opportunity to decompress. They have access to chaplains and to our mental health care team. And third, they're going through debriefings with the repatriation team out of the States to ensure that we learn lessons that are important now and into future conflicts.

CHANCE: And that kind of debriefing, that kind of psychological therapy, that will continue, will it, for some time in the States?

RUBENSTEIN: These seven soldiers will have access to mental and spiritual assistance for a long time. We don't take soldiers that are, that have been POWs and take them back to the States and just forget them. But we will continue the debriefing process, the recovery process, and we will continue to be available to them, we being the military health system, available to them for a very long time.

CHANCE: In the meantime, Colonel, just briefly, how are those seven rescued prisoners of war, former prisoners of war, spending their time before they go home?

RUBENSTEIN: Well, they're going through debriefings with the teams, as we talked about. They are receiving some medical treatment. And in their free time, they're watching TV, they're watching movies, they're walking the halls and they're eating in the dining facility, enjoying our buffet.

CHANCE: That's great. And I understand that also there will be some kind of, well, they've been obviously expressing their desire to go home. They came out and said that there.

Can you confirm to us here when they will be going back to the States?

RUBENSTEIN: They'll be leaving here in the next couple of days, we suspect. We see that they're in very good condition.

CHANCE: All right, Colonel David Rubenstein of the Landstuhl medical facility, thank you very much for joining us here.

RUBENSTEIN: My pleasure.

CHANCE: Te you have it, back in Atlanta, Carol. The Landstuhl medical facility preparing to see these soldiers back home. It's been the place where some 1,500 injured have come in from the Iraqi theater and been treated before being either kept here or taken back to medical facilities in the United States.

So, that's the situation here. Stay tuned for more information.

COSTELLO: We certainly will.

Matthew Chance live from Germany this morning.

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 April 18, 2003 - 06:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Just about, oh, 50 minutes ago, those seven American ex-POWs made a short appearance at the Landstuhl medical facility in Germany. They waved to the crowd, spoke a few words.
We want to go back to Germany right now and check in again with Matthew Chance -- and Matthew, as they were introduced, it was -- are you ready, Matthew?

As they were introduced it was rather a dramatic introduction.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I certainly am, Carol.

It was a very dramatic introduction by Commander David Rubenstein. Also, a very short press briefing, though, a very short press statement by the seven rescued prisoners of war. They came out onto the balcony behind me and just said how much they're still praying and thinking of their comrades still in action inside Iraq.

Not very much coming from them, though, about what their condition is.

For that, we're going to have to turn to Colonel David Rubenstein himself, the commander of the U.S. medical facility here in Landstuhl, Germany.

Thank you very much, Colonel, for being with us.

COL. DAVID RUBENSTEIN, COMMANDER, LANDSTUHL MEDICAL CENTER: Certainly.

CHANCE: First of all, let me ask you what is the general condition of those seven prisoners of war? There's a lot of concern about them.

RUBENSTEIN: Well, we're proud to say they're not prisoners of war anymore. These seven soldiers are in excellent condition. Their injuries are relatively minor. Three have been shot, have suffered gunshot wounds. The most serious of the three, of course, you saw, was in a wheelchair. All three are going to recover very well and they have an excellent prognosis.

Likewise, their spirits are very high. They are working with each other. They're working with the debriefers and they are in very good spirits.

CHANCE: Yes, I was going to say, I mean one of the big concerns for people who have been through such a traumatic ordeal is how it will have affected them psychologically.

What's being done here to give them a helping hand?

RUBENSTEIN: Three things are being done here. Number one is we're ensuring that their physical condition is evaluated, assessed and we're providing medical care to them. Secondly, we're providing them an opportunity to decompress. They have access to chaplains and to our mental health care team. And third, they're going through debriefings with the repatriation team out of the States to ensure that we learn lessons that are important now and into future conflicts.

CHANCE: And that kind of debriefing, that kind of psychological therapy, that will continue, will it, for some time in the States?

RUBENSTEIN: These seven soldiers will have access to mental and spiritual assistance for a long time. We don't take soldiers that are, that have been POWs and take them back to the States and just forget them. But we will continue the debriefing process, the recovery process, and we will continue to be available to them, we being the military health system, available to them for a very long time.

CHANCE: In the meantime, Colonel, just briefly, how are those seven rescued prisoners of war, former prisoners of war, spending their time before they go home?

RUBENSTEIN: Well, they're going through debriefings with the teams, as we talked about. They are receiving some medical treatment. And in their free time, they're watching TV, they're watching movies, they're walking the halls and they're eating in the dining facility, enjoying our buffet.

CHANCE: That's great. And I understand that also there will be some kind of, well, they've been obviously expressing their desire to go home. They came out and said that there.

Can you confirm to us here when they will be going back to the States?

RUBENSTEIN: They'll be leaving here in the next couple of days, we suspect. We see that they're in very good condition.

CHANCE: All right, Colonel David Rubenstein of the Landstuhl medical facility, thank you very much for joining us here.

RUBENSTEIN: My pleasure.

CHANCE: Te you have it, back in Atlanta, Carol. The Landstuhl medical facility preparing to see these soldiers back home. It's been the place where some 1,500 injured have come in from the Iraqi theater and been treated before being either kept here or taken back to medical facilities in the United States.

So, that's the situation here. Stay tuned for more information.

COSTELLO: We certainly will.

Matthew Chance live from Germany this morning.

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