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CNN Live At Daybreak

Liberia Awaiting Peacekeepers

Aired July 15, 2003 - 06:06   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Will he? Won't he? The president is still mulling over whether to send troops to Liberia. In the meantime, thousands of desperate refugees hiding in fear are finally getting some food.
Live to Monrovia, Liberia's capital, and our Jeff Koinange.

Good morning -- Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

It's another cold, wet and miserable day here in Monrovia. It's been raining most of the night and into the morning. But despite the misery, there is a bit of relief for the suffering people of Liberia.

Monday, the Red Cross finally started distributing much needed food items and also non-food items -- everything from corn or maze meal to blankets to cooking utensils. They're going to continue this into all day Tuesday and also Wednesday. It's a three-day program providing relief for at least two weeks. This is much needed relief, and the people here cannot be more (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

Now at the same time, talk of troop deployments, like you mentioned, still hasn't been decided. On Monday, U.S. President George W. Bush meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Kofi Annan, of course, urging President Bush to send in Americans as the bulk of the force, and here's what President Bush had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, any commitment we have would have be limited in size and limited in tenure. Our job would be to help facilitate an ECOWAS presence, which would then be converted into a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOINANGE: At the same time, Carol, a fragile cease-fire continues to hold. Rebels are threatening to attack the capital, Monrovia, if embattled President Charles Taylor does not step down and leave town. President Taylor saying until peacekeepers come he's not going anywhere -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jeff Koinange live from Monrovia, Liberia, this morning.

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 15, 2003 - 06:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Will he? Won't he? The president is still mulling over whether to send troops to Liberia. In the meantime, thousands of desperate refugees hiding in fear are finally getting some food.
Live to Monrovia, Liberia's capital, and our Jeff Koinange.

Good morning -- Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

It's another cold, wet and miserable day here in Monrovia. It's been raining most of the night and into the morning. But despite the misery, there is a bit of relief for the suffering people of Liberia.

Monday, the Red Cross finally started distributing much needed food items and also non-food items -- everything from corn or maze meal to blankets to cooking utensils. They're going to continue this into all day Tuesday and also Wednesday. It's a three-day program providing relief for at least two weeks. This is much needed relief, and the people here cannot be more (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

Now at the same time, talk of troop deployments, like you mentioned, still hasn't been decided. On Monday, U.S. President George W. Bush meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Kofi Annan, of course, urging President Bush to send in Americans as the bulk of the force, and here's what President Bush had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, any commitment we have would have be limited in size and limited in tenure. Our job would be to help facilitate an ECOWAS presence, which would then be converted into a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOINANGE: At the same time, Carol, a fragile cease-fire continues to hold. Rebels are threatening to attack the capital, Monrovia, if embattled President Charles Taylor does not step down and leave town. President Taylor saying until peacekeepers come he's not going anywhere -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jeff Koinange live from Monrovia, Liberia, this morning.

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