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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ultimatum to Liberia's Charles Taylor: Leave or Else

Aired July 04, 2003 - 06:07   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: CNN has learned Liberian President Charles Taylor has been given until Saturday to step down and leave the country.
As CNN's Jeff Koinange reports, the pressure on Taylor is building both from within and outside Liberia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The calls from the U.S. for Liberia's embattled president to step down continue.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe stability will only come to the country with the departure of President Taylor.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: His leaving is a condition for the parties coming to a stable peace and beginning a political process.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One thing has to happen. Mr. Taylor needs to leave the country, and Colin has made that -- I made it clear publicly, I've just made it clear again, he made it clear to Kofi Annan. In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now.

KOINANGE: In the streets of the capital, Monrovia, an unprecedented scene, hundreds of anti-Taylor demonstrators throwing their support behind the U.S. government for their own president to leave. Joining in the call, voices of opposition leaders, meeting in nearby Ghana for peace talks.

ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEF, OPPOSITION UNITY PARTY OF LIBERIA: I think Mr. Taylor has to leave. We don't want to see the country returned to war. We don't want to see anything bad happen to Mr. Taylor. And so, I believe he will change his mind, and he'll be made to change his mind. And I think he will accept an exit offer that is now before him.

KOINANGE: And late Thursday, a senior official of the Liberian government told CNN Mr. Taylor had been issued an ultimatum from the U.S. government to leave town in 48 hours. The State Department said they had no knowledge of such an ultimatum.

Many here believe Mr. Taylor may still have enough cards left to play. On Wednesday, the government of Nigeria offered him asylum, a request he initially turned down. A special envoy from Nigeria is due in Monrovia Friday with a renewed offer. (on camera): President Bush leaves for his first-ever African trip this coming weekend. First stop: Dakar, Senegal. It is then that we will know whether he has stepped down or indeed left town when Air Force One touches down on African soil.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, here's more on President Bush's planned trip to Africa. In addition to Senegal, the president also has stops planned for Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana and South Africa. Mr. Bush says he hopes he can strengthen ties between those countries and the U.S. The president will also talk about his five-year, $15 billion proposal to fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. The trip marks Mr. Bush's third visit to Africa and first as the president.

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 July 4, 2003 - 06:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: CNN has learned Liberian President Charles Taylor has been given until Saturday to step down and leave the country.
As CNN's Jeff Koinange reports, the pressure on Taylor is building both from within and outside Liberia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The calls from the U.S. for Liberia's embattled president to step down continue.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe stability will only come to the country with the departure of President Taylor.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: His leaving is a condition for the parties coming to a stable peace and beginning a political process.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One thing has to happen. Mr. Taylor needs to leave the country, and Colin has made that -- I made it clear publicly, I've just made it clear again, he made it clear to Kofi Annan. In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now.

KOINANGE: In the streets of the capital, Monrovia, an unprecedented scene, hundreds of anti-Taylor demonstrators throwing their support behind the U.S. government for their own president to leave. Joining in the call, voices of opposition leaders, meeting in nearby Ghana for peace talks.

ELLEN JOHNSON-SIRLEF, OPPOSITION UNITY PARTY OF LIBERIA: I think Mr. Taylor has to leave. We don't want to see the country returned to war. We don't want to see anything bad happen to Mr. Taylor. And so, I believe he will change his mind, and he'll be made to change his mind. And I think he will accept an exit offer that is now before him.

KOINANGE: And late Thursday, a senior official of the Liberian government told CNN Mr. Taylor had been issued an ultimatum from the U.S. government to leave town in 48 hours. The State Department said they had no knowledge of such an ultimatum.

Many here believe Mr. Taylor may still have enough cards left to play. On Wednesday, the government of Nigeria offered him asylum, a request he initially turned down. A special envoy from Nigeria is due in Monrovia Friday with a renewed offer. (on camera): President Bush leaves for his first-ever African trip this coming weekend. First stop: Dakar, Senegal. It is then that we will know whether he has stepped down or indeed left town when Air Force One touches down on African soil.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Monrovia, Liberia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, here's more on President Bush's planned trip to Africa. In addition to Senegal, the president also has stops planned for Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana and South Africa. Mr. Bush says he hopes he can strengthen ties between those countries and the U.S. The president will also talk about his five-year, $15 billion proposal to fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. The trip marks Mr. Bush's third visit to Africa and first as the president.

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