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U.S. Forces Begin To Arrive In Liberia

Aired July 07, 2003 - 11:07   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: But up first right now we want to go to Liberia in crisis. A U.S. advanced team arrived in the west African nation today to lay the groundwork for possible deployment of U.S. troops. And the story in Liberia may in some ways overshadow President Bush's pending trip to Africa which gets underway this evening.
Our Brent Sadler is standing by right now in the Liberian capital of Monrovia. Brent checks in now live.

Hello, Brent. Seen lots of activity happening out there as these helicopters have been landing quite frequently now.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. Hi, Leon.

Well you see behind me a handful of the latest batch of U.S. military specialists who were just dropped off by helicopter that came in from neighboring Sierra Leone. This has been going on for the past several hours here inside the U.S. embassy compound inside the Liberian capital.

We do not have the U.S. peacekeepers on the ground here. What we have is a humanitarian program, a humanitarian survey team, really ranging various specialities from civil affairs to irrigated water to sanitation. And really here to look at what the humanitarian problems are on the ground in Liberia, to look at the scale involved.

Some figures to give you, Leon. About one million refugees have been displaced by the war. You have a rebel group in the north of the country, rebels in the south of the country, and the president, Liberia's leader, Charles Taylor embattled militarily and politically, mounting international pressure on him to step down, particularly from U.S. President George W. Bush who says he's got to go now. Mr. Taylor still here.

So we saw several hours ago the first deployment of the accessers (ph) here to really look at what the situation is around the greater part of Monrovia. They will not be going into the inner parts of the country where the territory is held by various rebel groups. They'll be looking at whether problems are concentrated in greater Monrovia.

Now after they arrive, we had a few words with the U.S. ambassador to Liberia, and John Blaney, and he outlined this mission for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN W. BLANEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO LIBERIA: That's a decision that the president of the United States will make. Our mission here right now is to just provide the information and the access for this team to take a look strictly at the humanitarian situation. They'll be going to hospitals. They'll be going to these camps. They'll be meeting with non-governmental organizations and other experts in the humanitarian area in Liberia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: So Ambassador Blaney quite clearly pointing out there that no decision has been taken on the possible wider involvement of U.S. forces in Liberia's many, many problems.

This country in absolute chaos, in ruins after decades of civil war. The U.S. assessment here -- team going to be making the kind of reports that the U.S. administration is going to need on which to base a final decision about this country's future -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thank you, Brent. Brent Sadler reporting live for us from Monrovia, Liberia. As you see there, U.S. troops just beginning to arrive and begin their mission there.

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 - 11:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: But up first right now we want to go to Liberia in crisis. A U.S. advanced team arrived in the west African nation today to lay the groundwork for possible deployment of U.S. troops. And the story in Liberia may in some ways overshadow President Bush's pending trip to Africa which gets underway this evening.
Our Brent Sadler is standing by right now in the Liberian capital of Monrovia. Brent checks in now live.

Hello, Brent. Seen lots of activity happening out there as these helicopters have been landing quite frequently now.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. Hi, Leon.

Well you see behind me a handful of the latest batch of U.S. military specialists who were just dropped off by helicopter that came in from neighboring Sierra Leone. This has been going on for the past several hours here inside the U.S. embassy compound inside the Liberian capital.

We do not have the U.S. peacekeepers on the ground here. What we have is a humanitarian program, a humanitarian survey team, really ranging various specialities from civil affairs to irrigated water to sanitation. And really here to look at what the humanitarian problems are on the ground in Liberia, to look at the scale involved.

Some figures to give you, Leon. About one million refugees have been displaced by the war. You have a rebel group in the north of the country, rebels in the south of the country, and the president, Liberia's leader, Charles Taylor embattled militarily and politically, mounting international pressure on him to step down, particularly from U.S. President George W. Bush who says he's got to go now. Mr. Taylor still here.

So we saw several hours ago the first deployment of the accessers (ph) here to really look at what the situation is around the greater part of Monrovia. They will not be going into the inner parts of the country where the territory is held by various rebel groups. They'll be looking at whether problems are concentrated in greater Monrovia.

Now after they arrive, we had a few words with the U.S. ambassador to Liberia, and John Blaney, and he outlined this mission for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOHN W. BLANEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO LIBERIA: That's a decision that the president of the United States will make. Our mission here right now is to just provide the information and the access for this team to take a look strictly at the humanitarian situation. They'll be going to hospitals. They'll be going to these camps. They'll be meeting with non-governmental organizations and other experts in the humanitarian area in Liberia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: So Ambassador Blaney quite clearly pointing out there that no decision has been taken on the possible wider involvement of U.S. forces in Liberia's many, many problems.

This country in absolute chaos, in ruins after decades of civil war. The U.S. assessment here -- team going to be making the kind of reports that the U.S. administration is going to need on which to base a final decision about this country's future -- Leon.

HARRIS: Thank you, Brent. Brent Sadler reporting live for us from Monrovia, Liberia. As you see there, U.S. troops just beginning to arrive and begin their mission there.

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