Return to Transcripts main page

Live From...

War in Liberia: America to the Rescue?

Aired July 03, 2003 - 13:37   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk more about what American peacekeepers might be asked to do and what they might run into in Liberia. For that, we turn to out military analyst General David Grange. He's in Chicago.
General good to see you.

Well, I actually was going to begin this interview talking directly about the Marines. But first, after watching this piece that Jeff did and seeing these pictures, it just makes your stomach turn. When you see life like that in Liberia, is it the U.S.' responsibility to take care of this humanitarian problem right now?

GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think partly. It's the world's responsibility. But the United States, because of their historical ties to Liberia, because of the images being shown of human suffering, and because the United States stands for opportunity and hope, and because there's some other -- some indirect interests. For instance, flagging of vessels. Liberia flags many vessels associated with movement of U.S. goods abroad, of sea lines of communication. And the president made a comment that Charles Taylor must leave, and if he doesn't, then when you make a comment like that, you kind of have to make it happen. So I believe the United States will be involved, and should be.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about these Marines in Spain right now, Marine expeditionary unit. If indeed the signal is given, they make entry, let's talk about the focus of what this unit is supposed to do, its mission.

GRANGE: The several tasks on the possible agenda of any force used, one is to reinforce the embassy, to protect it, obviously. The other is to evacuate American citizens, or designated third country nationals, in other words, from other countries that we've agreed to evacuate, either out to sea or to an adjacent country, and the other would be a peace-keeping or enforcement operation being a part of that, maybe the lead of a coalition of forces from Europe and, hopefully, from western Africa as well, to try to bring some kind of humanitarian assistance and order to this volatile situation.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about what these Marines can face. You're talking about going into an area where there's Charles Taylor loyalists, rebels, where revenge is just a way of life. This is not an easy task.

GRANGE: No, and none of them are easy. And when the words peace-keeping come about, there sometimes is a connotation that it's kind of just helping people. But you also have to face bad guys. Some adults, some are kids, and it's people that work the seams of these problems in these societies and take advantage of other people, or loyalists to Charles Taylor that know they have no future, because if they put down their arms and surrender, then the rebel forces, either today or a month from now, will kill them. So yes, there will be probably sporadic fighting, and it's dangerous to the Marines or soldiers, whoever goes in there, no matter what type of mission they get.

PHILLIPS: Well, if Charles Taylor doesn't leave, are these Marines prepared for combat? I mean, you can't help but think about Mogadishu, and what happened there in Somalia. They were not prepared for what was about to happen.

GRANGE: Well, you know, the soldiers in Somalia were prepared for the operations. I don't think our government was prepared for what may happen. The decision to end it there and not accomplish the mission was an administrative decision at the governmental level, not the troops, and so these Marines, these soldiers, will be prepared. You go into any kind of mission, you have to be prepared for worse case, and they will be. I think this time, though, the resolve would be there to follow the mission through. If not, then we shouldn't send any troops any way.

PHILLIPS: You made a comment about maritime operations. Could the Marines be sent in there to monitor that also? Because of course I would think there would be fear of drugs or weapons coming in and out of there.

GRANGE: Weapons or some people trying to evade coalition forces, that they want to take as -- into captivity, and hold them for some reason, because of crimes. Who knows? The U.N. may direct that. But the sea lines, the air and the ground are all important to the operation. It's a three-dimensional operation.

PHILLIPS: I have to ask you this, too, general if all hell breaks lose, in addition to these Marines standing by in Spain, are there other troops ready to grow go?

GRANGE: Yes, there are. But you know, as the map you showed earlier with Barbara Starr, I believe that the U.S. military is understrength and overcommitted. Yes, there's people ready. There's units ready to go at a moment's notice on what they call N (ph) hour sequences, in so many hours to get to different places.

But you know, If we're going to continue to ask our military to do these things, they have to be resourced to do so, and they can do it. This is a pull up your boot straps, drive on, accomplish your mission type of armed force, like no other in the world. But if this continues, if these tasks continue, they need additional forces.

PHILLIPS: And they have to be prepared to finish the job, too.

Military analyst, General David Grange, thank you.

GRANGE: My pleasure. 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 3, 2003 - 13:37   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk more about what American peacekeepers might be asked to do and what they might run into in Liberia. For that, we turn to out military analyst General David Grange. He's in Chicago.
General good to see you.

Well, I actually was going to begin this interview talking directly about the Marines. But first, after watching this piece that Jeff did and seeing these pictures, it just makes your stomach turn. When you see life like that in Liberia, is it the U.S.' responsibility to take care of this humanitarian problem right now?

GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think partly. It's the world's responsibility. But the United States, because of their historical ties to Liberia, because of the images being shown of human suffering, and because the United States stands for opportunity and hope, and because there's some other -- some indirect interests. For instance, flagging of vessels. Liberia flags many vessels associated with movement of U.S. goods abroad, of sea lines of communication. And the president made a comment that Charles Taylor must leave, and if he doesn't, then when you make a comment like that, you kind of have to make it happen. So I believe the United States will be involved, and should be.

PHILLIPS: Well, let's talk about these Marines in Spain right now, Marine expeditionary unit. If indeed the signal is given, they make entry, let's talk about the focus of what this unit is supposed to do, its mission.

GRANGE: The several tasks on the possible agenda of any force used, one is to reinforce the embassy, to protect it, obviously. The other is to evacuate American citizens, or designated third country nationals, in other words, from other countries that we've agreed to evacuate, either out to sea or to an adjacent country, and the other would be a peace-keeping or enforcement operation being a part of that, maybe the lead of a coalition of forces from Europe and, hopefully, from western Africa as well, to try to bring some kind of humanitarian assistance and order to this volatile situation.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about what these Marines can face. You're talking about going into an area where there's Charles Taylor loyalists, rebels, where revenge is just a way of life. This is not an easy task.

GRANGE: No, and none of them are easy. And when the words peace-keeping come about, there sometimes is a connotation that it's kind of just helping people. But you also have to face bad guys. Some adults, some are kids, and it's people that work the seams of these problems in these societies and take advantage of other people, or loyalists to Charles Taylor that know they have no future, because if they put down their arms and surrender, then the rebel forces, either today or a month from now, will kill them. So yes, there will be probably sporadic fighting, and it's dangerous to the Marines or soldiers, whoever goes in there, no matter what type of mission they get.

PHILLIPS: Well, if Charles Taylor doesn't leave, are these Marines prepared for combat? I mean, you can't help but think about Mogadishu, and what happened there in Somalia. They were not prepared for what was about to happen.

GRANGE: Well, you know, the soldiers in Somalia were prepared for the operations. I don't think our government was prepared for what may happen. The decision to end it there and not accomplish the mission was an administrative decision at the governmental level, not the troops, and so these Marines, these soldiers, will be prepared. You go into any kind of mission, you have to be prepared for worse case, and they will be. I think this time, though, the resolve would be there to follow the mission through. If not, then we shouldn't send any troops any way.

PHILLIPS: You made a comment about maritime operations. Could the Marines be sent in there to monitor that also? Because of course I would think there would be fear of drugs or weapons coming in and out of there.

GRANGE: Weapons or some people trying to evade coalition forces, that they want to take as -- into captivity, and hold them for some reason, because of crimes. Who knows? The U.N. may direct that. But the sea lines, the air and the ground are all important to the operation. It's a three-dimensional operation.

PHILLIPS: I have to ask you this, too, general if all hell breaks lose, in addition to these Marines standing by in Spain, are there other troops ready to grow go?

GRANGE: Yes, there are. But you know, as the map you showed earlier with Barbara Starr, I believe that the U.S. military is understrength and overcommitted. Yes, there's people ready. There's units ready to go at a moment's notice on what they call N (ph) hour sequences, in so many hours to get to different places.

But you know, If we're going to continue to ask our military to do these things, they have to be resourced to do so, and they can do it. This is a pull up your boot straps, drive on, accomplish your mission type of armed force, like no other in the world. But if this continues, if these tasks continue, they need additional forces.

PHILLIPS: And they have to be prepared to finish the job, too.

Military analyst, General David Grange, thank you.

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