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CNN Live Today
U.S. Marines, Humanitarian Workers Hitting Some Red Tape in Liberia
Aired July 08, 2003 - 10:10 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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime we'll get to other news. Some other news we have actually coming from Africa in Liberia now. A stalemate of sorts there involving a convoy of U.S. military experts. Government soldiers, many of them teenagers with automatic weapons and Rocket Propelled Grenades, by the way, blocked the Americans' entry into a refugee camp.
Let's go now to the capital and CNN's Jeff Koinange, he is reporting now from Monrovia live. Hello, Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Leon. And a dramatic first day for the humanitarian assessment team. First they hit the ground literally running, went to their first port of call, Redemption Hospital right inside the capital Monrovia. There they were met by literally tens of thousands of Liberians out there to welcome them waving U.S. flags saying "We love you, George Bush. No more war. We want peace." They were out in force showing their support.
Once they left there, they went towards Attahtab (ph), five, six miles. They were going to a displacement camp for 50, 60,000 Liberians. They got to a government-run checkpoint and had they to stop and ask permission. U.S. embassy officials got on the phone, made a request and that request was turn down. And the entire convoy had to turn right around and head towards Monrovia.
Half way down they met that same crowd, welcoming them literally grounding the convoy to a standstill. Some still chanting, still rejoicing, saying thank you for coming.
And then about five, ten minutes down the way, shots rang out in the street. One after the other. Repetition of shots. The Marines engaged, ready for action. And it was government troops firing in the air to disperse the crowds. And the crowds are so used to fighting and the firing, they ran. They turned and turn and fled. Government troops continued to shoot for a while. Marines got into their jeep, the convoy, the convoy sped out of there.
And in an exclusive interview with my colleague Brent Sadler, President Taylor reacting to that incident said, This was a diplomatic boo boo. He says, None of the Liberian government officials have been requested any permission. The flights that landed yesterday with the U.S. humanitarian mission, no request for landing was made to the Liberian government.
In other words, President Taylor feels left out of this whole equation. He wants them to request them, whether verbally or written. He wants a written request or verbal request. He says has no problem with having them on the ground. But he needs them to request, Leon. And that's all he's asking.
HARRIS: Very interesting. And there's been suspicions all along, Jeff, that maybe Charles Taylor was trying to hold back another card to play later on in this whole game that we've seen, if I can use that word, as it plays out here. Is that the sense you're getting on there the ground? This is another card that Charles Taylor is playing to delay the whole process?
KOINANGE: Well it could very well be that, Leon, because as you well know he did say as long as peacekeepers are not on the ground, he is not going to leave. And again, he is still president of this country. He says just go through the right channels, ask for permission, we'll be glad to give it to you.
And there's a reaction just now from the U.S. embassy where the entire convoy has gone back. They will issue a written statement very shortly. They are not sure whether they're going to hit the streets of Monrovia again today. It's been a dramatic first day in their encounter here -- Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Thank you very much, Jeff. Jeff Koinange reporting for us live from Monrovia. Jeff, be careful over there. We'll talk with you later on about this.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Liberia>
Aired July 8, 2003 - 10:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime we'll get to other news. Some other news we have actually coming from Africa in Liberia now. A stalemate of sorts there involving a convoy of U.S. military experts. Government soldiers, many of them teenagers with automatic weapons and Rocket Propelled Grenades, by the way, blocked the Americans' entry into a refugee camp.
Let's go now to the capital and CNN's Jeff Koinange, he is reporting now from Monrovia live. Hello, Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Leon. And a dramatic first day for the humanitarian assessment team. First they hit the ground literally running, went to their first port of call, Redemption Hospital right inside the capital Monrovia. There they were met by literally tens of thousands of Liberians out there to welcome them waving U.S. flags saying "We love you, George Bush. No more war. We want peace." They were out in force showing their support.
Once they left there, they went towards Attahtab (ph), five, six miles. They were going to a displacement camp for 50, 60,000 Liberians. They got to a government-run checkpoint and had they to stop and ask permission. U.S. embassy officials got on the phone, made a request and that request was turn down. And the entire convoy had to turn right around and head towards Monrovia.
Half way down they met that same crowd, welcoming them literally grounding the convoy to a standstill. Some still chanting, still rejoicing, saying thank you for coming.
And then about five, ten minutes down the way, shots rang out in the street. One after the other. Repetition of shots. The Marines engaged, ready for action. And it was government troops firing in the air to disperse the crowds. And the crowds are so used to fighting and the firing, they ran. They turned and turn and fled. Government troops continued to shoot for a while. Marines got into their jeep, the convoy, the convoy sped out of there.
And in an exclusive interview with my colleague Brent Sadler, President Taylor reacting to that incident said, This was a diplomatic boo boo. He says, None of the Liberian government officials have been requested any permission. The flights that landed yesterday with the U.S. humanitarian mission, no request for landing was made to the Liberian government.
In other words, President Taylor feels left out of this whole equation. He wants them to request them, whether verbally or written. He wants a written request or verbal request. He says has no problem with having them on the ground. But he needs them to request, Leon. And that's all he's asking.
HARRIS: Very interesting. And there's been suspicions all along, Jeff, that maybe Charles Taylor was trying to hold back another card to play later on in this whole game that we've seen, if I can use that word, as it plays out here. Is that the sense you're getting on there the ground? This is another card that Charles Taylor is playing to delay the whole process?
KOINANGE: Well it could very well be that, Leon, because as you well know he did say as long as peacekeepers are not on the ground, he is not going to leave. And again, he is still president of this country. He says just go through the right channels, ask for permission, we'll be glad to give it to you.
And there's a reaction just now from the U.S. embassy where the entire convoy has gone back. They will issue a written statement very shortly. They are not sure whether they're going to hit the streets of Monrovia again today. It's been a dramatic first day in their encounter here -- Leon.
HARRIS: Very interesting. Thank you very much, Jeff. Jeff Koinange reporting for us live from Monrovia. Jeff, be careful over there. We'll talk with you later on about this.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
in Liberia>
