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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Marines Arrive in Liberia
Aired August 14, 2003 - 06:02 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: A quick reaction force of 200 U.S. Marines has landed in Liberia. Their mission? To help West African troops and get humanitarian aid to desperate Liberians.
Live to Monrovia, the capital. At the airport, our Jeff Koinange.
Hello -- Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Carol.
And that's right. Boots are officially are on the ground, and if you look behind me, that's the column of U.S. troops that landed just a short while ago, heading towards a hangar there to secure that part of the airport.
Now, they arrived as an impressive and imposing presence. First, it was Cobra helicopter gunships hovering over the airport to make sure that it was safe. And then the CH-46 and CH-53 helicopters landed and the Marines poured out.
The U.S. ambassador here said the boots are officially on the ground. Anyone who had any doubts about an American presence, an American show of force on the ground here in Monrovia, well, that's all dispelled right now.
Basically what they're here to do, once they secure that hangar, they're going to assist the West African peacekeepers in any way they want, whether it's logistics, communications -- anything they need, they will assist them -- because the West African peacekeepers right now are on their way. They're heading towards Monrovia and across one of the key bridges linking the city and the port area. In less than three hours' time, they are going to secure that port area and give way, like you said, to much needed humanitarian aid, much needed relief -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We know there are several rebel groups at work in Liberia. One has agreed to leave, but another is advancing. How dangerous is the situation for U.S. troops?
KOINANGE: I would say pretty fluid and pretty unpredictable, Carol, because they are 30 miles east of where I am right now -- the group calling themselves the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, or MODEL. They started making a push out of the country's second largest port city of Buchanan, heading this way, actually heading towards this airport. So, again, it could be fluid, totally unpredictable, and U.S. forces were consulting on the ground with their West African colleagues to make sure this airport area is secure, to make sure that their troops won't be in any harm or danger of any kind -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jeff Koinange reporting live from Monrovia 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 August 14, 2003 - 06:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: A quick reaction force of 200 U.S. Marines has landed in Liberia. Their mission? To help West African troops and get humanitarian aid to desperate Liberians.
Live to Monrovia, the capital. At the airport, our Jeff Koinange.
Hello -- Jeff.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Carol.
And that's right. Boots are officially are on the ground, and if you look behind me, that's the column of U.S. troops that landed just a short while ago, heading towards a hangar there to secure that part of the airport.
Now, they arrived as an impressive and imposing presence. First, it was Cobra helicopter gunships hovering over the airport to make sure that it was safe. And then the CH-46 and CH-53 helicopters landed and the Marines poured out.
The U.S. ambassador here said the boots are officially on the ground. Anyone who had any doubts about an American presence, an American show of force on the ground here in Monrovia, well, that's all dispelled right now.
Basically what they're here to do, once they secure that hangar, they're going to assist the West African peacekeepers in any way they want, whether it's logistics, communications -- anything they need, they will assist them -- because the West African peacekeepers right now are on their way. They're heading towards Monrovia and across one of the key bridges linking the city and the port area. In less than three hours' time, they are going to secure that port area and give way, like you said, to much needed humanitarian aid, much needed relief -- Carol.
COSTELLO: We know there are several rebel groups at work in Liberia. One has agreed to leave, but another is advancing. How dangerous is the situation for U.S. troops?
KOINANGE: I would say pretty fluid and pretty unpredictable, Carol, because they are 30 miles east of where I am right now -- the group calling themselves the Movement for Democracy in Liberia, or MODEL. They started making a push out of the country's second largest port city of Buchanan, heading this way, actually heading towards this airport. So, again, it could be fluid, totally unpredictable, and U.S. forces were consulting on the ground with their West African colleagues to make sure this airport area is secure, to make sure that their troops won't be in any harm or danger of any kind -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jeff Koinange reporting live from Monrovia 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.
