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Mortar Shells Land Inside U.S. Embassay Compound in Monrovia
Aired July 21, 2003 - 15:02 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the chaotic and lawless conditions in Liberia have taken a new and dramatic turn for the worse in recent hours, with mortar fire raining down on the streets of the capital as well as the U.S. embassy compound.
A Liberian diplomat here in Washington tells CNN that civilians are dying -- quote -- "in the hundreds." President Bush was asked about the situation. We'll have his comments shortly.
But first, let's join CNN's Jeff Koinange. He is inside the U.S. embassy compound in Monrovia. Jeff, tell us the latest.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, you're right. A very dramatic day here in Monrovia, where missiles, like you said, were literally raining down in and around the U.S. embassy compound.
Here's how things began: earlier in the day, a marine unit known as the Anti-Terrorist Security Team, the fast team (ph) that usually's based in Rotar (sp), Spain -- well, they flew into neighboring Sierra Leone, guarding (ph) to some Blackhawk helicopters, and flew into Monrovia earlier in the day.
Now their mission is basically to secure U.S. embassies around the world and prepare for possible evacuations. So they got off the helicopters, the helicopters took off. Half an hour later, the missiles started raining right where the helicopter flight plan was behind me. We saw several missiles landing in the Atlantic Ocean, in the waters right behind me there. One missile of the missiles did strike the commissary here in the embassy. There were no injuries, and other mortars raining down on the city of Monrovia. We understand one landed on a building. Unconfirmed reports say about 18 people died in that one. Around the local hospital, JFK, another mortar landed around there, and patients had to be evacuated to an inner part of that hospital.
Now, Liberians, angry at the U.S., stacked up bodies right outside the embassy. They were angry at the USA. If the U.S. had intervened, none of this would have happened. So a lot of drama, a lot of action even as fighting continues in the streets of Monrovia, Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. Jeff Koinange reporting live from inside the U.S. embassy compound in Monrovia. Jeff, 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
Monrovia>
Aired July 21, 2003 - 15:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the chaotic and lawless conditions in Liberia have taken a new and dramatic turn for the worse in recent hours, with mortar fire raining down on the streets of the capital as well as the U.S. embassy compound.
A Liberian diplomat here in Washington tells CNN that civilians are dying -- quote -- "in the hundreds." President Bush was asked about the situation. We'll have his comments shortly.
But first, let's join CNN's Jeff Koinange. He is inside the U.S. embassy compound in Monrovia. Jeff, tell us the latest.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Judy, you're right. A very dramatic day here in Monrovia, where missiles, like you said, were literally raining down in and around the U.S. embassy compound.
Here's how things began: earlier in the day, a marine unit known as the Anti-Terrorist Security Team, the fast team (ph) that usually's based in Rotar (sp), Spain -- well, they flew into neighboring Sierra Leone, guarding (ph) to some Blackhawk helicopters, and flew into Monrovia earlier in the day.
Now their mission is basically to secure U.S. embassies around the world and prepare for possible evacuations. So they got off the helicopters, the helicopters took off. Half an hour later, the missiles started raining right where the helicopter flight plan was behind me. We saw several missiles landing in the Atlantic Ocean, in the waters right behind me there. One missile of the missiles did strike the commissary here in the embassy. There were no injuries, and other mortars raining down on the city of Monrovia. We understand one landed on a building. Unconfirmed reports say about 18 people died in that one. Around the local hospital, JFK, another mortar landed around there, and patients had to be evacuated to an inner part of that hospital.
Now, Liberians, angry at the U.S., stacked up bodies right outside the embassy. They were angry at the USA. If the U.S. had intervened, none of this would have happened. So a lot of drama, a lot of action even as fighting continues in the streets of Monrovia, Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right. Jeff Koinange reporting live from inside the U.S. embassy compound in Monrovia. Jeff, 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
Monrovia>
