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CNN Live Today

Liberia in Crisis

Aired July 08, 2003 - 11:09   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will be on his way to South Africa in the next hour. Senegal was his first stop on the continent this morning. They are just a stone's throw away from Liberia. He pledged to maintain a fragile cease fire in this country, one devastated by years of civil war. A U.S. military team is on the ground in Liberia, trying to help and determine whether U.S. troops can keep the peace.
Our Jeff Koinange is in the Liberian capital of Monrovia -- Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Daryn.

A dramatic first day for the humanitarian assessment team, and also one filled with diplomatic bungling on the part of the U.S. and the Liberian government.

Here's how it started. First, the humanitarian assessment team hit the ground running, going from center to center, and they were met by tens of thousands of Liberians rejoicing in the streets, singing, chanting, saying we love you George Bush, and also saying, no more war, we want peace. Tens of thousands of them mobbed the Americans. I don't think this is the kind of reception they were expecting, but they were out in force waiving flags.

After that they went about five, six miles, came up to a checkpoint. Beyond that, they were going to one of the largest displacement camps, about 50,000, 60,000 displaced Liberians. They got to the checkpoint, the government soldiers, told them they needed clearance to pass that checkpoint, because beyond that it was rebel territory until not too long ago. A phone call was made, but the entire convoy turned around, went back towards the city. Again, met that same crowd of tens of thousands of Liberians chanting and cheering them on. And then, suddenly, shots rang out, one after the other. Everybody started fleeing in all kinds of directions. At the same time Marines who were part of the convoy. They were engaged, ready and waiting. Nothing happened. They got into the convoy and sped out of there. In the meantime, the firing continued and the crowd dispersed.

All of this happened in a matter of minutes, Daryn. At the same time President Taylor must have been watching this happening, because my colleague Brent Sadler was in an exclusive interview with him, and here is what President Taylor had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIAN PRESIDENT: Sometime we have these diplomatic boo-boos. We welcome the troops here, and we will take them wherever they want to go.

Since their arrival, the embassy has not organized any movement or liaison activities with any agency of this Liberian government. The area they were going into, there are troops there who do not know what is going on.

One would think that upon arriving by this morning, the defense ministry had been waiting to meet with them -- where do you want to go? What do you want to do? We can assign a liaison officer. Let's not forget, this responsible government considers the presence of the United States forces here as important, and you are our responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOINANGE: So, Daryn, again, President Taylor feeling a little left out of the loop in this whole encounter. He is feeling bypassed. He said he is still president of Liberia. All they need to do is just ask him for the permission. He is not denying them the permission. In fact, he requested the U.S. presence here on the ground. That's what he wants. And as soon as peacekeepers arrived, he would leave.

I also got a phone call from the defense minister, and he also said, all we need to do is give them some kind of escort. We are responsible for their security. If they go into rebel territory, anything can happen. So again, the Liberians are just saying, we just want the necessary requirements, go through the various channels just so that we can facilitate things for you -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Jeff Koinange, from Monrovia, Liberia, thanks very much for that.

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 - 11:09   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush will be on his way to South Africa in the next hour. Senegal was his first stop on the continent this morning. They are just a stone's throw away from Liberia. He pledged to maintain a fragile cease fire in this country, one devastated by years of civil war. A U.S. military team is on the ground in Liberia, trying to help and determine whether U.S. troops can keep the peace.
Our Jeff Koinange is in the Liberian capital of Monrovia -- Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Daryn.

A dramatic first day for the humanitarian assessment team, and also one filled with diplomatic bungling on the part of the U.S. and the Liberian government.

Here's how it started. First, the humanitarian assessment team hit the ground running, going from center to center, and they were met by tens of thousands of Liberians rejoicing in the streets, singing, chanting, saying we love you George Bush, and also saying, no more war, we want peace. Tens of thousands of them mobbed the Americans. I don't think this is the kind of reception they were expecting, but they were out in force waiving flags.

After that they went about five, six miles, came up to a checkpoint. Beyond that, they were going to one of the largest displacement camps, about 50,000, 60,000 displaced Liberians. They got to the checkpoint, the government soldiers, told them they needed clearance to pass that checkpoint, because beyond that it was rebel territory until not too long ago. A phone call was made, but the entire convoy turned around, went back towards the city. Again, met that same crowd of tens of thousands of Liberians chanting and cheering them on. And then, suddenly, shots rang out, one after the other. Everybody started fleeing in all kinds of directions. At the same time Marines who were part of the convoy. They were engaged, ready and waiting. Nothing happened. They got into the convoy and sped out of there. In the meantime, the firing continued and the crowd dispersed.

All of this happened in a matter of minutes, Daryn. At the same time President Taylor must have been watching this happening, because my colleague Brent Sadler was in an exclusive interview with him, and here is what President Taylor had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIAN PRESIDENT: Sometime we have these diplomatic boo-boos. We welcome the troops here, and we will take them wherever they want to go.

Since their arrival, the embassy has not organized any movement or liaison activities with any agency of this Liberian government. The area they were going into, there are troops there who do not know what is going on.

One would think that upon arriving by this morning, the defense ministry had been waiting to meet with them -- where do you want to go? What do you want to do? We can assign a liaison officer. Let's not forget, this responsible government considers the presence of the United States forces here as important, and you are our responsibility.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOINANGE: So, Daryn, again, President Taylor feeling a little left out of the loop in this whole encounter. He is feeling bypassed. He said he is still president of Liberia. All they need to do is just ask him for the permission. He is not denying them the permission. In fact, he requested the U.S. presence here on the ground. That's what he wants. And as soon as peacekeepers arrived, he would leave.

I also got a phone call from the defense minister, and he also said, all we need to do is give them some kind of escort. We are responsible for their security. If they go into rebel territory, anything can happen. So again, the Liberians are just saying, we just want the necessary requirements, go through the various channels just so that we can facilitate things for you -- Daryn.

KAGAN: All right. Jeff Koinange, from Monrovia, Liberia, thanks very much for that.

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