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CNN Live At Daybreak
Developments in West African Nation of Liberia
Aired July 07, 2003 - 05:32 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.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let's take another look now at developments in the West African nation of Liberia. A U.S. assessment team is due to arrive in the war torn nation this morning and the Liberian president, Taylor, has agreed to leave the country, but he won't say when.
CNN's Brent Sadler joins us from the Liberian capital of Monrovia with more.
So he's going to leave, we just don't know when -- and hello to you, Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kris.
Yes, that's absolutely right. Mr. Taylor, the Liberian leader, has said, yes, he's prepared to go, respond positively to President Bush's insistence that he should leave office and leave office soon, but he is not saying precisely how or when, saying that he does not want to leave a vacuum behind him, he does not want to plunge this country into even more chaos.
That remains to be seen, of course. But right now eyes are focused on what's going to be happening on that helicopter landing pad behind me just over there. We're now speaking to you live from the U.S. Embassy compound, a very well protected area on the seafront inside the Monrovian -- inside the Liberian capital, Monrovia. And it's here some time over the next few hours -- we can't say when for security reasons -- that we'll be seeing a U.S. helicopter touching down on that helicopter pad and unloading about 20 members of that humanitarian assistance survey team, along with about 15 military personnel who'll be acting as their security shield.
Now, they're going to be here on the ground, giving the U.S. eyes and ears presence to start evaluating the kind of huge chronic humanitarian needs that this country requires, as well, of course, as the fundamental issue of trying to stabilize this war ravaged country.
Now, the survey team will be laying the groundwork for the kind of buildup of U.S. presence should the president make that decision in conjunction with an arrival here of forces from West African states. All these final nuts and bolts of the plan still to fall into place.
But what we're going to see here today are U.S. military personnel beginning a very important mission so that they can report back to military commanders, who can decide what best to do next in terms of the humanitarian level and, of course, in terms of U.S. participation, should that order be given, in securing, helping to secure and stabilize, this country.
But, of course, all this hangs on what President Charles Taylor is going to do. The Nigerians have offered him asylum. He says he'll go, but the precise details of that still have to be worked out. Still very uncertain.
Back to you -- Kris.
OSBORN: Thank you very much, CNN's Brent Sadler.
As you point out, removing chaos there could prove quite challenging.
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 7, 2003 - 05:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let's take another look now at developments in the West African nation of Liberia. A U.S. assessment team is due to arrive in the war torn nation this morning and the Liberian president, Taylor, has agreed to leave the country, but he won't say when.
CNN's Brent Sadler joins us from the Liberian capital of Monrovia with more.
So he's going to leave, we just don't know when -- and hello to you, Brent.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kris.
Yes, that's absolutely right. Mr. Taylor, the Liberian leader, has said, yes, he's prepared to go, respond positively to President Bush's insistence that he should leave office and leave office soon, but he is not saying precisely how or when, saying that he does not want to leave a vacuum behind him, he does not want to plunge this country into even more chaos.
That remains to be seen, of course. But right now eyes are focused on what's going to be happening on that helicopter landing pad behind me just over there. We're now speaking to you live from the U.S. Embassy compound, a very well protected area on the seafront inside the Monrovian -- inside the Liberian capital, Monrovia. And it's here some time over the next few hours -- we can't say when for security reasons -- that we'll be seeing a U.S. helicopter touching down on that helicopter pad and unloading about 20 members of that humanitarian assistance survey team, along with about 15 military personnel who'll be acting as their security shield.
Now, they're going to be here on the ground, giving the U.S. eyes and ears presence to start evaluating the kind of huge chronic humanitarian needs that this country requires, as well, of course, as the fundamental issue of trying to stabilize this war ravaged country.
Now, the survey team will be laying the groundwork for the kind of buildup of U.S. presence should the president make that decision in conjunction with an arrival here of forces from West African states. All these final nuts and bolts of the plan still to fall into place.
But what we're going to see here today are U.S. military personnel beginning a very important mission so that they can report back to military commanders, who can decide what best to do next in terms of the humanitarian level and, of course, in terms of U.S. participation, should that order be given, in securing, helping to secure and stabilize, this country.
But, of course, all this hangs on what President Charles Taylor is going to do. The Nigerians have offered him asylum. He says he'll go, but the precise details of that still have to be worked out. Still very uncertain.
Back to you -- Kris.
OSBORN: Thank you very much, CNN's Brent Sadler.
As you point out, removing chaos there could prove quite challenging.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
