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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bush Considering Sending as Many as a Thousand Troops to Liberia
Aired July 03, 2003 - 05:02 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: More American troops may be heading to another international hotspot. President Bush is now considering sending as many as a thousand troops to Liberia, the West African nation torn by years of unrest.
Our Senior White House Correspondent John King has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People are panicking.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president all but dared those trying to kill U.S. forces in Iraq to attack again. And sources tell CNN he is poised to order troops on another dangerous mission -- peacekeeping in the West African nation of Liberia.
BUSH: We're exploring all options as to how to keep the situation peaceful and stable.
KING: Administration sources say an official announcement could come as early as this week and say the president and top national security aides discussed deploying 500 to 1,000 U.S. troops for a mission that also would include West African forces. These sources describe the Pentagon as somewhat reluctant. It is stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the last major deployment in Africa, in Somalia, ended in retreat 10 years ago after 18 Americans were killed.
Just last week, Mr. Bush called on Liberian President Charles Taylor to step down. Now, he wants him to leave the country, as well.
BUSH: In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now.
KING: Taylor is under United Nations indictment for war crimes. The official White House line is that Taylor should leave Liberia now and still face trial later. But...
SUSAN RICE, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS: It sounds to me like President Bush is opening the door to a deal in which Taylor goes into exile and escapes the jurisdiction of the U.N. special court.
KING: Mr. Bush took questions after introducing his new global AIDS coordinator. He says the attacks in Iraq are an effort to get the United States to pack up and leave before a new government is established.
BUSH: My answer is bring 'em on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.
KING: The president once again rejected the idea that intelligence saying Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was wrong.
BUSH: He had 'em. And it's just a matter of time.
KING: As a candidate for president, then Governor Bush promised to think long and hard before sending U.S. troops overseas.
(on camera): Now, the White House insists the Liberia troop deployment, while dangerous, would meet the president's tests, that it is vital to U.S. national security interests and that it be of limited duration.
John King, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And John will join us live from the White House at 6:30 Eastern to talk more about this possible deployment and other presidential matters, so stay with us.
While the United States is trying to pressure Charles Taylor to leave, he's showing no signs of caving in. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Jeff Koinange from a few days ago, the Liberian president said he was preparing to ask President Bush to send in troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: I think he genuinely has Liberia at heart and the people and he would like for the president of the country to make the necessary decisions in line with what he said, to make sure that we avoid a bloodbath in the country. And I think we are on the same line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Right now, U.S. troops are deployed to nine nations. Liberia would make it 10. You're familiar with Iraq and Afghanistan, and a few of these others, such as South Korea and Japan. But the Defense Department says troops are also in Kosovo, Bosnia, the Philippines, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Djibouti. There are approximately 241,000 American service members stationed overseas in those countries, the most in Iraq, Japan, South Korea and Afghanistan.
Log onto our Web site for an interactive gallery on the history of U.S. involvement in Liberia, including maps and facts about that African nation. We also have a profile of President Taylor. The address, cnn.com. AOL keyword, of course, CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Liberia>
Aired July 3, 2003 - 05:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: More American troops may be heading to another international hotspot. President Bush is now considering sending as many as a thousand troops to Liberia, the West African nation torn by years of unrest.
Our Senior White House Correspondent John King has details for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: People are panicking.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president all but dared those trying to kill U.S. forces in Iraq to attack again. And sources tell CNN he is poised to order troops on another dangerous mission -- peacekeeping in the West African nation of Liberia.
BUSH: We're exploring all options as to how to keep the situation peaceful and stable.
KING: Administration sources say an official announcement could come as early as this week and say the president and top national security aides discussed deploying 500 to 1,000 U.S. troops for a mission that also would include West African forces. These sources describe the Pentagon as somewhat reluctant. It is stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the last major deployment in Africa, in Somalia, ended in retreat 10 years ago after 18 Americans were killed.
Just last week, Mr. Bush called on Liberian President Charles Taylor to step down. Now, he wants him to leave the country, as well.
BUSH: In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now.
KING: Taylor is under United Nations indictment for war crimes. The official White House line is that Taylor should leave Liberia now and still face trial later. But...
SUSAN RICE, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS: It sounds to me like President Bush is opening the door to a deal in which Taylor goes into exile and escapes the jurisdiction of the U.N. special court.
KING: Mr. Bush took questions after introducing his new global AIDS coordinator. He says the attacks in Iraq are an effort to get the United States to pack up and leave before a new government is established.
BUSH: My answer is bring 'em on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation.
KING: The president once again rejected the idea that intelligence saying Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction was wrong.
BUSH: He had 'em. And it's just a matter of time.
KING: As a candidate for president, then Governor Bush promised to think long and hard before sending U.S. troops overseas.
(on camera): Now, the White House insists the Liberia troop deployment, while dangerous, would meet the president's tests, that it is vital to U.S. national security interests and that it be of limited duration.
John King, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And John will join us live from the White House at 6:30 Eastern to talk more about this possible deployment and other presidential matters, so stay with us.
While the United States is trying to pressure Charles Taylor to leave, he's showing no signs of caving in. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Jeff Koinange from a few days ago, the Liberian president said he was preparing to ask President Bush to send in troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: I think he genuinely has Liberia at heart and the people and he would like for the president of the country to make the necessary decisions in line with what he said, to make sure that we avoid a bloodbath in the country. And I think we are on the same line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Right now, U.S. troops are deployed to nine nations. Liberia would make it 10. You're familiar with Iraq and Afghanistan, and a few of these others, such as South Korea and Japan. But the Defense Department says troops are also in Kosovo, Bosnia, the Philippines, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Djibouti. There are approximately 241,000 American service members stationed overseas in those countries, the most in Iraq, Japan, South Korea and Afghanistan.
Log onto our Web site for an interactive gallery on the history of U.S. involvement in Liberia, including maps and facts about that African nation. We also have a profile of President Taylor. The address, cnn.com. AOL keyword, of course, CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Liberia>
