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People of Liberia Await U.S. Troops Anxiously
Aired July 03, 2003 - 14:37 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: I under we had Jeff Koinange on the video phone in Liberia. We've been waiting for him to arrive in the area and come to us live from the region.
Jeff, give us a feel for what folks are saying right now and what it's like in Liberia as the talk of possibly sending U.S. troops into the area for peacekeeping efforts is right on technology of the table?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kyra. I can tell you right now Liberians are literally breathing a sigh of relief. They have waited for this moment a very long time. They have been wanting U.S. troops on the ground for a very long time. Now, they see this as a possibility that it might happen sooner than later.
Also today, Kyra, I must add for the very first time there were demonstrations in the streets of Monrovia against President Taylor. Now this is unprecedented. This would never have happened in the last five and a half years of his rule. Today they came out in the streets waving placards, waving banners saying, "Taylor Must Go."
So now everyone knows where the problem lies. Now they want him to leave just so that the peacekeepers can come in because the Bush administration did say unless President Taylor is not gone, peacekeepers won't come. So now the people realize he has to go.
But there was also a pro-Taylor demonstration. That was dwarfed by the anti-Taylor demonstration. People here realize they've suffered for too long, the problem is President Taylor, he has to leave and he has to leave now -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, tell us how do the numbers pan out? You've got these Charles Taylor loyalists, rebels, if you will, people -- individuals that revenge is a way of life. And then you say there are a number of people out on the streets very much for this assistance and for peacekeeping help from the U.S. What do you think? Are there more loyalists? Are more civilians saying we need help?
KOINANGE: Well, I tell you, the bottom line is people here have been suffering for so long. There are over 100,000 displaced Liberians who have been forced from their homes in the country side to come into the city seeking shelter and refuge. Obviously those people need help. They need food, they need drinking water, they need sanitation. Above that they need security, they need law and order on the ground. They feel these peacekeepers led by the Americans will bring about law and order. Let's not forget, President Taylor has a huge following here in Monrovia. There are people who still are extremely loyal to him. He has a militia and government forces that are very loyal to him. If he does go, something will have to be done to disarm them because they will see now that there's a power vacuum they might just go out and say they have nothing to lose.
It's a very stressful situation right now. People are walking literally on tenterhooks. The sooner those peacekeepers arrive, the decision for them to come is made, the safer the people of Monrovia will feel -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, for those that have not been following what's been taking place in Liberia in the civil war that exists, let's try to put in perspective here.
When Iraq fell and Saddam Hussein was ousted from power the world saw how this man lived and the world saw how the people of Iraq were living. Is this a similar situation? What is Charles Taylor's life like?
KOINANGE: I tell you, that's a very interesting analogy. From 1989, Charles Taylor launched or is credited with launching a civil war that lasted about seven years and cost over a quarter of a million lives. He rolled into town one day, he got rid of the president who was there, and he told the people unless we have elections now and you elect me, then I'm going back into the bush and we will continue this civil war.
So they, in fact, elected him overwhelmingly. He became president five and a half years ago. And in that time the rebel forces who had been pushed out of town, they rearmed and decided to come back and threaten Mr. Taylor. That's what they have been doing throughout the five and a half years. They haven't given him enough time to settle in as a president.
In the meantime he has ruled literally with an iron fist. Even though he has a massive support in the capital, Monrovia, outside the city people don't really support him that much. They don't know of him that much. But he has held on to power. Up until now.
Up until the indictment over a month ago and up until what the Bush administration is saying. Now people realize, hey, this is the problem. This is the person who has to leave if we are ever to get peace in this country. If we are ever to get our act together. He must go. And they do realize this.
And if doesn't take his option, Kyra, remember, he does have one last card to play. He can seek asylum in a country in the region. If he doesn't seek that, then he'll have to tough it out and may have to fight to the bitter end right here in the streets of Monrovia.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, finally, if U.S. troops do move into the area are the people there ready to join forces with U.S. troops? Is there civilian military, if you will, that will help the U.S. with their fight? KOINANGE: None to speak of, Kyra, because, basically, Taylor's forces are extremely loyal to him alone. The rebel forces are very loyal to their leaders and they are way outside of town right now.
If the American troops do come, if the peacekeepers do come, their first job is do disarm these militias in the street, the child soldiers, people who have been holding a gun for the better part of the last decade, they know nothing more. Those are the people who must be disarmed and they will be difficult to disarm. It will be a very difficult job. Someone has to do that right away.
If the peacekeepers come the people will welcome them. People here are saying let them come now, they are out brothers, they are our fathers, they are the people we have been wanting the long time. But the people to watch are those militia, the troops who are loyal to both President Taylor and the rebel forces out there.
How does one begin disarm them? What does one do after that? Do they teach them? Educate them? What do they do? It's going to be a very difficult process.
But as long as the capital calm and safe and secure, the whole country side will all fall into place -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jeff Koinange, live from Liberia, via video phone. Great work, Jeff. We'll all be watching. Thank you very much.
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 - 14:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: I under we had Jeff Koinange on the video phone in Liberia. We've been waiting for him to arrive in the area and come to us live from the region.
Jeff, give us a feel for what folks are saying right now and what it's like in Liberia as the talk of possibly sending U.S. troops into the area for peacekeeping efforts is right on technology of the table?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Kyra. I can tell you right now Liberians are literally breathing a sigh of relief. They have waited for this moment a very long time. They have been wanting U.S. troops on the ground for a very long time. Now, they see this as a possibility that it might happen sooner than later.
Also today, Kyra, I must add for the very first time there were demonstrations in the streets of Monrovia against President Taylor. Now this is unprecedented. This would never have happened in the last five and a half years of his rule. Today they came out in the streets waving placards, waving banners saying, "Taylor Must Go."
So now everyone knows where the problem lies. Now they want him to leave just so that the peacekeepers can come in because the Bush administration did say unless President Taylor is not gone, peacekeepers won't come. So now the people realize he has to go.
But there was also a pro-Taylor demonstration. That was dwarfed by the anti-Taylor demonstration. People here realize they've suffered for too long, the problem is President Taylor, he has to leave and he has to leave now -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, tell us how do the numbers pan out? You've got these Charles Taylor loyalists, rebels, if you will, people -- individuals that revenge is a way of life. And then you say there are a number of people out on the streets very much for this assistance and for peacekeeping help from the U.S. What do you think? Are there more loyalists? Are more civilians saying we need help?
KOINANGE: Well, I tell you, the bottom line is people here have been suffering for so long. There are over 100,000 displaced Liberians who have been forced from their homes in the country side to come into the city seeking shelter and refuge. Obviously those people need help. They need food, they need drinking water, they need sanitation. Above that they need security, they need law and order on the ground. They feel these peacekeepers led by the Americans will bring about law and order. Let's not forget, President Taylor has a huge following here in Monrovia. There are people who still are extremely loyal to him. He has a militia and government forces that are very loyal to him. If he does go, something will have to be done to disarm them because they will see now that there's a power vacuum they might just go out and say they have nothing to lose.
It's a very stressful situation right now. People are walking literally on tenterhooks. The sooner those peacekeepers arrive, the decision for them to come is made, the safer the people of Monrovia will feel -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, for those that have not been following what's been taking place in Liberia in the civil war that exists, let's try to put in perspective here.
When Iraq fell and Saddam Hussein was ousted from power the world saw how this man lived and the world saw how the people of Iraq were living. Is this a similar situation? What is Charles Taylor's life like?
KOINANGE: I tell you, that's a very interesting analogy. From 1989, Charles Taylor launched or is credited with launching a civil war that lasted about seven years and cost over a quarter of a million lives. He rolled into town one day, he got rid of the president who was there, and he told the people unless we have elections now and you elect me, then I'm going back into the bush and we will continue this civil war.
So they, in fact, elected him overwhelmingly. He became president five and a half years ago. And in that time the rebel forces who had been pushed out of town, they rearmed and decided to come back and threaten Mr. Taylor. That's what they have been doing throughout the five and a half years. They haven't given him enough time to settle in as a president.
In the meantime he has ruled literally with an iron fist. Even though he has a massive support in the capital, Monrovia, outside the city people don't really support him that much. They don't know of him that much. But he has held on to power. Up until now.
Up until the indictment over a month ago and up until what the Bush administration is saying. Now people realize, hey, this is the problem. This is the person who has to leave if we are ever to get peace in this country. If we are ever to get our act together. He must go. And they do realize this.
And if doesn't take his option, Kyra, remember, he does have one last card to play. He can seek asylum in a country in the region. If he doesn't seek that, then he'll have to tough it out and may have to fight to the bitter end right here in the streets of Monrovia.
PHILLIPS: Jeff, finally, if U.S. troops do move into the area are the people there ready to join forces with U.S. troops? Is there civilian military, if you will, that will help the U.S. with their fight? KOINANGE: None to speak of, Kyra, because, basically, Taylor's forces are extremely loyal to him alone. The rebel forces are very loyal to their leaders and they are way outside of town right now.
If the American troops do come, if the peacekeepers do come, their first job is do disarm these militias in the street, the child soldiers, people who have been holding a gun for the better part of the last decade, they know nothing more. Those are the people who must be disarmed and they will be difficult to disarm. It will be a very difficult job. Someone has to do that right away.
If the peacekeepers come the people will welcome them. People here are saying let them come now, they are out brothers, they are our fathers, they are the people we have been wanting the long time. But the people to watch are those militia, the troops who are loyal to both President Taylor and the rebel forces out there.
How does one begin disarm them? What does one do after that? Do they teach them? Educate them? What do they do? It's going to be a very difficult process.
But as long as the capital calm and safe and secure, the whole country side will all fall into place -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: All right, Jeff Koinange, live from Liberia, via video phone. Great work, Jeff. We'll all be watching. Thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
