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CNN Live At Daybreak

Liberia in Crisis: Keeping the Peace

Aired July 08, 2003 - 06:10   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 ANCHOR: We now turn to Liberia where a U.S. assessment team is in the capital of Monrovia. They're evaluating various humanitarian needs in the war torn country and possibly laying the groundwork for U.S. peacekeepers, as we just heard Chris Burns talk about.
Let's get the latest on this from CNN's Jeff Koinange who joins us now live from Monrovia.

Any whispers about when there might be a decision -- Jeff?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not yet, Kris. But I can tell you right now the humanitarian assessment mission is in the first full day of operations meeting with non-governmental organizations or aid agencies, the few remaining on the ground. They're going to get a firsthand view of what's happening, how desperate and deplorable this situation is.

Then about an hour or so from now, they will literally hit the ground running, go to displacement camp after displacement camp, because remember, Kris, there are over 100,000 displaced Liberians in the capital of Monrovia alone. They're going to see for themselves how desperate that situation is. They need to evaluate in terms of medication, in terms of water, in terms of food and, of course, make a possible assessment after that in terms of deployment. So that will come in the coming days. But today is the first stop and they've already hit the ground running -- Kris.

OSBORN: Thank you very much. CNN's Jeff Koinange live from Liberia.

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 8, 2003 - 06:10   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: We now turn to Liberia where a U.S. assessment team is in the capital of Monrovia. They're evaluating various humanitarian needs in the war torn country and possibly laying the groundwork for U.S. peacekeepers, as we just heard Chris Burns talk about.
Let's get the latest on this from CNN's Jeff Koinange who joins us now live from Monrovia.

Any whispers about when there might be a decision -- Jeff?

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not yet, Kris. But I can tell you right now the humanitarian assessment mission is in the first full day of operations meeting with non-governmental organizations or aid agencies, the few remaining on the ground. They're going to get a firsthand view of what's happening, how desperate and deplorable this situation is.

Then about an hour or so from now, they will literally hit the ground running, go to displacement camp after displacement camp, because remember, Kris, there are over 100,000 displaced Liberians in the capital of Monrovia alone. They're going to see for themselves how desperate that situation is. They need to evaluate in terms of medication, in terms of water, in terms of food and, of course, make a possible assessment after that in terms of deployment. So that will come in the coming days. But today is the first stop and they've already hit the ground running -- Kris.

OSBORN: Thank you very much. CNN's Jeff Koinange live from Liberia.

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