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CNN Live Saturday
President Bush Discusses Exile of Liberian Preisdent
Aired July 12, 2003 - 18:10 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.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is on his way back home after wrapping up a five day trip to Africa. Before he left Nigeria today, President Bush had the opportunity to discuss the exile of Liberian President Charles Taylor. There are increasing signs that Taylor will keep his promise to leave.
Meantime a team of U.S. advisers ventured outside Liberia's capital of Monrovia today, CNN's Brent Sadler is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It does seem here that President Charles Taylor may be preparing the stage for his possible departure from Liberia. Mr. Taylor is under intense international pressure to step down from office from the international community, not least West African states as well as U.S. President George W. Bush.
(voice-over): Now, several hundred of his closest supporters of his ruling National Patriotic Party assembled in central Monrovia in a downpour during this monsoon season to hear their president speak.
He spent a lot of time complaining about the fact he says he's been turned into a scapegoat, not only for Liberia's many, many problems but also for fermenting war in this part of West Africa. This is what he told the crowd.
PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: Governments have gassed their people. Governments have used chemical and biological weapons against their people. Governments have had (unintelligible) and then mankind will say there is no need for that government to continue to govern.
Well, one would ask the question what are the charges against this government? What are the charges against this president that he is being forced to abandon office and he is being asked to exile himself? What are the charges?
SADLER: Mr. Taylor was also joined on stage by his wife, Jewell Howard Taylor (ph). She said she supported his government's policies since the time he was in office but she also confirmed that they would both be leaving Liberia. She did not say precisely how or when.
(on camera): Mr. Taylor has been offered political asylum in Nigeria. He says he accepts the invitation but again is giving no details about how he will leave this country.
(voice-over): Meanwhile, a U.S. military assessment team has, for the first time, gone outside greater Monrovia really probing what conditions are like in bush areas. They went outside the capital escorted by government forces. They did not come close to rebel lines but visited a hospital where they saw some of the recent war wounded.
Now, the United States is building an essential report, a crucial report that President Bush and his advisers will use to help them make up their minds about the scope and duration of a possible mission that might involve U.S. peacekeepers on the ground here in Liberia.
(on camera): Now, that assessment report is being compiled at the U.S. Embassy compound here in Monrovia on top of the hill behind me. It's not clear when that report is going to be finalized but I understand it won't take very much longer.
Meanwhile, Liberians are hoping that there will sooner rather than later be a U.S. military presence on the ground. Only then, they say, will they have confidence that the continuing but fragile ceasefire will remain in place.
Brent Sadler, CNN, Monrovia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 12, 2003 - 18:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is on his way back home after wrapping up a five day trip to Africa. Before he left Nigeria today, President Bush had the opportunity to discuss the exile of Liberian President Charles Taylor. There are increasing signs that Taylor will keep his promise to leave.
Meantime a team of U.S. advisers ventured outside Liberia's capital of Monrovia today, CNN's Brent Sadler is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It does seem here that President Charles Taylor may be preparing the stage for his possible departure from Liberia. Mr. Taylor is under intense international pressure to step down from office from the international community, not least West African states as well as U.S. President George W. Bush.
(voice-over): Now, several hundred of his closest supporters of his ruling National Patriotic Party assembled in central Monrovia in a downpour during this monsoon season to hear their president speak.
He spent a lot of time complaining about the fact he says he's been turned into a scapegoat, not only for Liberia's many, many problems but also for fermenting war in this part of West Africa. This is what he told the crowd.
PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: Governments have gassed their people. Governments have used chemical and biological weapons against their people. Governments have had (unintelligible) and then mankind will say there is no need for that government to continue to govern.
Well, one would ask the question what are the charges against this government? What are the charges against this president that he is being forced to abandon office and he is being asked to exile himself? What are the charges?
SADLER: Mr. Taylor was also joined on stage by his wife, Jewell Howard Taylor (ph). She said she supported his government's policies since the time he was in office but she also confirmed that they would both be leaving Liberia. She did not say precisely how or when.
(on camera): Mr. Taylor has been offered political asylum in Nigeria. He says he accepts the invitation but again is giving no details about how he will leave this country.
(voice-over): Meanwhile, a U.S. military assessment team has, for the first time, gone outside greater Monrovia really probing what conditions are like in bush areas. They went outside the capital escorted by government forces. They did not come close to rebel lines but visited a hospital where they saw some of the recent war wounded.
Now, the United States is building an essential report, a crucial report that President Bush and his advisers will use to help them make up their minds about the scope and duration of a possible mission that might involve U.S. peacekeepers on the ground here in Liberia.
(on camera): Now, that assessment report is being compiled at the U.S. Embassy compound here in Monrovia on top of the hill behind me. It's not clear when that report is going to be finalized but I understand it won't take very much longer.
Meanwhile, Liberians are hoping that there will sooner rather than later be a U.S. military presence on the ground. Only then, they say, will they have confidence that the continuing but fragile ceasefire will remain in place.
Brent Sadler, CNN, Monrovia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
