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Taylor Gives Up Power

Aired August 11, 2003 - 13:27   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: In Liberia, the end of an era and promises of peace as a warlord turned president goes into exile.
President Charles Taylor lost control of his warring nation and boarded a plane bound for a new life just minutes ago. This as U.S. warships come closer to the coast of Liberia.

CNN's Jeff Koinange live from Liberia's capital of Monrovia with more.

Jeff, this has been quite a story for you so many weeks, and it finally happened, he left.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unbelievable, Kyra. Nobody would have believed this would have happened on this day, that the fact that President Taylor would actually follow through on one of his pledges to leave, even as that aircraft behind me, where you saw the African president, you'll be able to see him taxi off.

But, Kyra, no one would ever have believed he would have followed through. Everyone -- even people are walking around in a daze right now. They always thought at the last minute he would pull something off, but he actually got into that aircraft, and he's headed now to his new home away from home in Nigeria. It's unbelievable. That's all I can say, Kyra -- unbelievable.

PHILLIPS: Well, Jeff, for the past couple of weeks, we've been -- sometimes I haven't been able to go to you live because of the situation there, your safety. You've had to wear a bullet-proof vest today, I see. You don't have that on. It a new era, a new world now? All of a sudden, does everybody feel much safer?

KOINANGE: Absolutely. You just noticed that, didn't you, yes. It looks like the guns have been silenced for several days now. People are walking around. People are actually, you know, walking around freely. They haven't been able to go across to bridge to where the rebels are right now, only mostly journalist, and also the peacekeepers are doing that.

But we are -- people are walking around downtown Monrovia, a good sign. The guns have been silent. What they need now is for the freeport of Monrovia to be opened up, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rebels here to give that up and move away from there just so that peacekeepers can move in. And after that, much needed humanitarian aid, because the airport behind me can only take so much. The food needs to come on boats and ships, just so that it can feed and take care of the tens of thousands of displaced Liberians who are starving in the city, starving in the city stadium, all over the city, and now they need it, and they need it now, Kyra. They've been suffering for far too long.

PHILLIPS: Food, water, medical supplies, all of this desperately needed in the area How is it going to happen? Will it be west African peacekeepers, will it be those within the country, outside help the U.S.? Tell us.

KOINANGE: It's going to be a combination of all of the above, Kyra. Once the West African peacekeepers secure the port area, that's important, just so that if food does come, it doesn't get looted right away. They secure the port area, and then the aid workers, who have been waiting all along, waiting for the fact that, as long it's secure and safe in the capital, they can bring in aide, they can bring in personnel, they can bring in doctors, nurses, people who do what they do best, and they're willing to come just as soon as the city is secure, Kyra. That's going to happen, hopefully sooner rather than later. If the LERD (ph) leadership is going to follow through on what they said, that the war is over, then that aid should be coming in the coming days -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: History unfolding today. Our Jeff Koinange with a number of exclusive reports, following this story for us.

Jeff, great job. Thank you so 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 August 11, 2003 - 13:27   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In Liberia, the end of an era and promises of peace as a warlord turned president goes into exile.
President Charles Taylor lost control of his warring nation and boarded a plane bound for a new life just minutes ago. This as U.S. warships come closer to the coast of Liberia.

CNN's Jeff Koinange live from Liberia's capital of Monrovia with more.

Jeff, this has been quite a story for you so many weeks, and it finally happened, he left.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Unbelievable, Kyra. Nobody would have believed this would have happened on this day, that the fact that President Taylor would actually follow through on one of his pledges to leave, even as that aircraft behind me, where you saw the African president, you'll be able to see him taxi off.

But, Kyra, no one would ever have believed he would have followed through. Everyone -- even people are walking around in a daze right now. They always thought at the last minute he would pull something off, but he actually got into that aircraft, and he's headed now to his new home away from home in Nigeria. It's unbelievable. That's all I can say, Kyra -- unbelievable.

PHILLIPS: Well, Jeff, for the past couple of weeks, we've been -- sometimes I haven't been able to go to you live because of the situation there, your safety. You've had to wear a bullet-proof vest today, I see. You don't have that on. It a new era, a new world now? All of a sudden, does everybody feel much safer?

KOINANGE: Absolutely. You just noticed that, didn't you, yes. It looks like the guns have been silenced for several days now. People are walking around. People are actually, you know, walking around freely. They haven't been able to go across to bridge to where the rebels are right now, only mostly journalist, and also the peacekeepers are doing that.

But we are -- people are walking around downtown Monrovia, a good sign. The guns have been silent. What they need now is for the freeport of Monrovia to be opened up, the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) rebels here to give that up and move away from there just so that peacekeepers can move in. And after that, much needed humanitarian aid, because the airport behind me can only take so much. The food needs to come on boats and ships, just so that it can feed and take care of the tens of thousands of displaced Liberians who are starving in the city, starving in the city stadium, all over the city, and now they need it, and they need it now, Kyra. They've been suffering for far too long.

PHILLIPS: Food, water, medical supplies, all of this desperately needed in the area How is it going to happen? Will it be west African peacekeepers, will it be those within the country, outside help the U.S.? Tell us.

KOINANGE: It's going to be a combination of all of the above, Kyra. Once the West African peacekeepers secure the port area, that's important, just so that if food does come, it doesn't get looted right away. They secure the port area, and then the aid workers, who have been waiting all along, waiting for the fact that, as long it's secure and safe in the capital, they can bring in aide, they can bring in personnel, they can bring in doctors, nurses, people who do what they do best, and they're willing to come just as soon as the city is secure, Kyra. That's going to happen, hopefully sooner rather than later. If the LERD (ph) leadership is going to follow through on what they said, that the war is over, then that aid should be coming in the coming days -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: History unfolding today. Our Jeff Koinange with a number of exclusive reports, following this story for us.

Jeff, great job. Thank you so 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