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CNN Live Saturday
Bush Watches Developments in Liberia
Aired July 05, 2003 - 14:06 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush sets off Monday night for a five-day mission to Africa. One place he will not visit, the embattled nation of Liberia. The U.S. is demanding the departure of President Charles Taylor. We get the latest on that and more from CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash live.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Sean. Well, President Bush does have a couple of days before he heads off on a very rare presidential trip to Africa. Today he spent this very warm day in Washington, playing golf with some of his old Texas friends. But the president has not, according to his aides, made a decision yet on whether or not he is going to send U.S. troops into Liberia for any mission at all.
The Pentagon officials, officials at the Pentagon are telling CNN that what they are discussing now is potentially sending troops in for more of a humanitarian effort rather than a traditional peacekeeping effort. But what the president is waiting for is an assessment team that is scheduled to leave tomorrow, that is Sunday, for the region, to try to figure out exactly from officials there, what would be needed from U.S. troops if they were to go on the ground, and how big of a force other countries from West Africa would also contribute to this effort.
Now, the president, in his weekly radio address today did not mention Liberia per se, but he did talk about the fact that for the second day in a row he actually said, that it is important for the U.S. and its military to help provide peace around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Without America's active involvement in the world, the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed. And millions would live at the mercy of terrorists. With America's active involvement, the world's tyrants have learned to fear, and terrorists are on the run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now regardless of what it would be called, whether it would be a humanitarian effort using U.S. troops or a peacekeeping effort, it would certainly be the first such mission for President Bush since he has been in office, and it is something that candidate Bush made clear that he would be reluctant to do. He made it clear the president during the 2000 campaign that the military is overextended and that nation building isn't something he is all that interested in.
But White House officials over the last few days have made it very clear that they believe that the world is different now, and in a post-9/11 world, it's important not to let chaos occur, and it's important not to let breeding ground happen for terrorists. And that's what White House officials are saying it would be a major factor in sending U.S. troops -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Dana Bash at the White House. Dana, thanks very much.
We are keeping a close eye on developments going on inside Liberia. CNN's Jeff Koinange is in Liberia's embattled capital city of Monrovia. He joins us now live via videophone with an update.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sean, I can tell you that news of the assessment team coming to town will be very welcome here on the ground in Monrovia. As you well know, Liberians have been suffering for most of the past quarter century. And news of them coming will be great for the people. Just imagine for a moment, more than 100,000 displaced Liberians who have fled fighting in the countryside coming to the capital of Monrovia, seeking shelter, seeking food, seeking any kind of assistance, and finding none, because most of the aid workers have fled because security is such a problem here.
With the assessment team coming, they will see for themselves, and then assess how many troops in terms of numbers and what kind of aid will be provided to the people. That will be very welcome.
Again, President Taylor saying, insisting he will leave, but he will leave as soon as peacekeepers arrive, and he did say if they arrive tomorrow, he will leave tomorrow. If they arrive next week, then he will be gone then.
A very crucial situation now. Sunday, Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo comes to town. He will meet with President Taylor to discuss further the option of asylum in Nigeria, or as President Taylor calls it a soft landing. So a very important event, meeting happening in the next 24 hours or so -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Well, Jeff, it's clearly a very delicate situation out there. How hopeful are the residents of Liberia that some true peace could come to their country?
KOINANGE: Well, Sean, they can only hope for true peace. They have had it so bad in the last quarter century. So much violence, so much anarchy. They feel any foreign presence on the ground will bring life to some kind of normalcy. That's all they are asking. They want to go back to their homes, live lives like they used to before. They have had too much suffering, too much fleeing in their own country. And any foreign presence will be more than welcomed here on the ground -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Realistically, what could just a few thousand peacekeeping or humanitarian troops from whatever country do to bring some stability there immediately? KOINANGE: You would be surprised, because for the last, let's say, decade and a half, it's just rebels who have been running rampant across the countryside. Peacekeepers coming in. We are talking about an organized force here, people who know how to go about their business. The rebels will not dare encounter or engage in any encounter with any organized force. And that's really important.
And psychologically, no one wants to mess with the U.S., so to speak. They will see this as this is the big brother here, they are coming to help them out, and no one will even try to mess with them. So it's very important psychologically to let the people on the ground know forces are coming, they are coming to help. And people will either put down their arms, or they will not resist, because if they do, then they will be taken care of -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Consequences, indeed. Jeff Koinange, thanks very much, as always, in Liberia today for us.
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 5, 2003 - 14:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush sets off Monday night for a five-day mission to Africa. One place he will not visit, the embattled nation of Liberia. The U.S. is demanding the departure of President Charles Taylor. We get the latest on that and more from CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash live.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Sean. Well, President Bush does have a couple of days before he heads off on a very rare presidential trip to Africa. Today he spent this very warm day in Washington, playing golf with some of his old Texas friends. But the president has not, according to his aides, made a decision yet on whether or not he is going to send U.S. troops into Liberia for any mission at all.
The Pentagon officials, officials at the Pentagon are telling CNN that what they are discussing now is potentially sending troops in for more of a humanitarian effort rather than a traditional peacekeeping effort. But what the president is waiting for is an assessment team that is scheduled to leave tomorrow, that is Sunday, for the region, to try to figure out exactly from officials there, what would be needed from U.S. troops if they were to go on the ground, and how big of a force other countries from West Africa would also contribute to this effort.
Now, the president, in his weekly radio address today did not mention Liberia per se, but he did talk about the fact that for the second day in a row he actually said, that it is important for the U.S. and its military to help provide peace around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Without America's active involvement in the world, the ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed. And millions would live at the mercy of terrorists. With America's active involvement, the world's tyrants have learned to fear, and terrorists are on the run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Now regardless of what it would be called, whether it would be a humanitarian effort using U.S. troops or a peacekeeping effort, it would certainly be the first such mission for President Bush since he has been in office, and it is something that candidate Bush made clear that he would be reluctant to do. He made it clear the president during the 2000 campaign that the military is overextended and that nation building isn't something he is all that interested in.
But White House officials over the last few days have made it very clear that they believe that the world is different now, and in a post-9/11 world, it's important not to let chaos occur, and it's important not to let breeding ground happen for terrorists. And that's what White House officials are saying it would be a major factor in sending U.S. troops -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Dana Bash at the White House. Dana, thanks very much.
We are keeping a close eye on developments going on inside Liberia. CNN's Jeff Koinange is in Liberia's embattled capital city of Monrovia. He joins us now live via videophone with an update.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sean, I can tell you that news of the assessment team coming to town will be very welcome here on the ground in Monrovia. As you well know, Liberians have been suffering for most of the past quarter century. And news of them coming will be great for the people. Just imagine for a moment, more than 100,000 displaced Liberians who have fled fighting in the countryside coming to the capital of Monrovia, seeking shelter, seeking food, seeking any kind of assistance, and finding none, because most of the aid workers have fled because security is such a problem here.
With the assessment team coming, they will see for themselves, and then assess how many troops in terms of numbers and what kind of aid will be provided to the people. That will be very welcome.
Again, President Taylor saying, insisting he will leave, but he will leave as soon as peacekeepers arrive, and he did say if they arrive tomorrow, he will leave tomorrow. If they arrive next week, then he will be gone then.
A very crucial situation now. Sunday, Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo comes to town. He will meet with President Taylor to discuss further the option of asylum in Nigeria, or as President Taylor calls it a soft landing. So a very important event, meeting happening in the next 24 hours or so -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Well, Jeff, it's clearly a very delicate situation out there. How hopeful are the residents of Liberia that some true peace could come to their country?
KOINANGE: Well, Sean, they can only hope for true peace. They have had it so bad in the last quarter century. So much violence, so much anarchy. They feel any foreign presence on the ground will bring life to some kind of normalcy. That's all they are asking. They want to go back to their homes, live lives like they used to before. They have had too much suffering, too much fleeing in their own country. And any foreign presence will be more than welcomed here on the ground -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Realistically, what could just a few thousand peacekeeping or humanitarian troops from whatever country do to bring some stability there immediately? KOINANGE: You would be surprised, because for the last, let's say, decade and a half, it's just rebels who have been running rampant across the countryside. Peacekeepers coming in. We are talking about an organized force here, people who know how to go about their business. The rebels will not dare encounter or engage in any encounter with any organized force. And that's really important.
And psychologically, no one wants to mess with the U.S., so to speak. They will see this as this is the big brother here, they are coming to help them out, and no one will even try to mess with them. So it's very important psychologically to let the people on the ground know forces are coming, they are coming to help. And people will either put down their arms, or they will not resist, because if they do, then they will be taken care of -- Sean.
CALLEBS: Consequences, indeed. Jeff Koinange, thanks very much, as always, in Liberia today for us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
