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Liberia in Crisis
Aired July 21, 2003 - 13:05 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.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Jeff Koinange is in that embassy right now. Let's get right to him right now.
Jeff, what you are seeing? What are you hearing? Are you under fire at the moment?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, I can tell you it was raining missiles quick and fast, mortar shells falling, one of them landing inside the embassy compound. It actually landed in the commissary. There were no injuries. The CNN crew did manage to get at least three of them landing in the Atlantic Ocean off of the embassy compound. We understand that one landed in a building not too far from here, killed 18 people, and Liberians are getting very restless, Miles. They're starting to pile bodies of their relatives and friends outside the U.S. embassy, and in effect, blaming the U.S. for what's just happened.
All of this happened, Miles, just as 21 members of the fleet anti-terrorist security team, the fast track team, based in Rota (ph), Spain flew in to Sierra Leone and got on to Blackhawk helicopters. They flew in this morning and dropped them off. As the helicopters were leaving is when the missiles started flying. Someone sending a message not to send these. Only 21 of the Marines managed to be left here. The rest are all canceled for the rest of the day. The mortars are falling thick and fast. Hospital injuries, more than 50 right now and climbing. The death toll is upwards of 50 and climbing, Miles. This is not getting better any time soon.
O'BRIEN: Jeff, we're just about out of time. We've got to go to another event with the president. But I just want to ask you, have you heard any sort of change in stance on the part of Charles Taylor?
KOINANGE: None whatsoever, Miles. As he said two days ago, he says he's going to fight to the very last man, and it looks like he's sending his forces out to do just that -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Jeff Koinange. You stay safe there. We'll be checking in with you all throughout this.
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 21, 2003 - 13:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: CNN's Jeff Koinange is in that embassy right now. Let's get right to him right now.
Jeff, what you are seeing? What are you hearing? Are you under fire at the moment?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, I can tell you it was raining missiles quick and fast, mortar shells falling, one of them landing inside the embassy compound. It actually landed in the commissary. There were no injuries. The CNN crew did manage to get at least three of them landing in the Atlantic Ocean off of the embassy compound. We understand that one landed in a building not too far from here, killed 18 people, and Liberians are getting very restless, Miles. They're starting to pile bodies of their relatives and friends outside the U.S. embassy, and in effect, blaming the U.S. for what's just happened.
All of this happened, Miles, just as 21 members of the fleet anti-terrorist security team, the fast track team, based in Rota (ph), Spain flew in to Sierra Leone and got on to Blackhawk helicopters. They flew in this morning and dropped them off. As the helicopters were leaving is when the missiles started flying. Someone sending a message not to send these. Only 21 of the Marines managed to be left here. The rest are all canceled for the rest of the day. The mortars are falling thick and fast. Hospital injuries, more than 50 right now and climbing. The death toll is upwards of 50 and climbing, Miles. This is not getting better any time soon.
O'BRIEN: Jeff, we're just about out of time. We've got to go to another event with the president. But I just want to ask you, have you heard any sort of change in stance on the part of Charles Taylor?
KOINANGE: None whatsoever, Miles. As he said two days ago, he says he's going to fight to the very last man, and it looks like he's sending his forces out to do just that -- Miles.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Jeff Koinange. You stay safe there. We'll be checking in with you all throughout this.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
