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Looters Took What They Could Before Handover
Aired August 14, 2003 - 14:17 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: And now, some exclusive pictures you will only see on CNN, U.S. troops landing in Monrovia. This was a rapid-reaction force, securing the airport and setting up operation. Later they'll move out and help secure the port, which was the scene of looters run amuck. We've be showing you those pictures, too.
CNN's Gaven Morris is in the heart of it all and joins us with an update -- Gaven.
GAVEN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, an extraordinary day here, really beginning at the airport with the arrival of those Marines, up to 200 of them aboard a stream of helicopters. It was quite a spectacular site. There were many choppers in the air, Liberian people cheering them as they landed. And very quickly, the Marines They spread out.
Now what they're here for is to support West African peacekeepers. They are very much in a support role. They won't be really be heading any programs on the ground here. We saw very much their effects, because in the center of town , just a couple of hours later, there was a relaxed ceremony on the middle of a key bridge connecting the center of Monrovia. which has been controlled by government militias, and the port area, that's been controlled by Lurd rebels. Now Marines were there. They were present straightaway. There were harrier jets from some ships off the cost, U.S. ships, and also helicopters buzzing in the area the whole time.
And the handover took very little time as the Lurd rebels shook hands with the West African peacekeeping chief, and then the Lurd rebels pretty much started packing their things and leaving that part of town.
Now hundreds of thousands of Liberians turned out to see all this. Very, very buoyed by the presence of U.S. aircraft and helicopters and Marines on the ground. They've been wanting U.S. intervention for a long time. Well, today they got it in some force.
The key objective of all of this is to free up the port area so that urgently needed aid supplies, food and fuel can come in on some ships. And, Kyra, we hope that's going to happen very soon.
PHILLIPS: Gaven, you see the pictures. You see obviously people there in Liberia very excited about the Marines coming in, the peacekeepers being there. But indeed, is the water, is the food, the bags coming through of grain and rice, is it getting to the people?
MORRIS: Not yet. Not at all. And that was a big reason behind that looting that you spoke of earlier. We saw looting again today even as the West African peacekeepers move into that port area. Some people that haven't eaten, some of them for weeks, well, nothing substantial, raided warehouses and raided containers to get that food before the peacekeepers took control. Those ships are needed urgently. There is one just off the coast, and the hopes are that they can come in within the next couple of days. Once that happens, really, things are on the path to something different to what these people in these desperate cities have experienced for the last few weeks -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Gaven Morris, we'll continue to follow the story and check in with you.
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 14, 2003 - 14:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And now, some exclusive pictures you will only see on CNN, U.S. troops landing in Monrovia. This was a rapid-reaction force, securing the airport and setting up operation. Later they'll move out and help secure the port, which was the scene of looters run amuck. We've be showing you those pictures, too.
CNN's Gaven Morris is in the heart of it all and joins us with an update -- Gaven.
GAVEN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, an extraordinary day here, really beginning at the airport with the arrival of those Marines, up to 200 of them aboard a stream of helicopters. It was quite a spectacular site. There were many choppers in the air, Liberian people cheering them as they landed. And very quickly, the Marines They spread out.
Now what they're here for is to support West African peacekeepers. They are very much in a support role. They won't be really be heading any programs on the ground here. We saw very much their effects, because in the center of town , just a couple of hours later, there was a relaxed ceremony on the middle of a key bridge connecting the center of Monrovia. which has been controlled by government militias, and the port area, that's been controlled by Lurd rebels. Now Marines were there. They were present straightaway. There were harrier jets from some ships off the cost, U.S. ships, and also helicopters buzzing in the area the whole time.
And the handover took very little time as the Lurd rebels shook hands with the West African peacekeeping chief, and then the Lurd rebels pretty much started packing their things and leaving that part of town.
Now hundreds of thousands of Liberians turned out to see all this. Very, very buoyed by the presence of U.S. aircraft and helicopters and Marines on the ground. They've been wanting U.S. intervention for a long time. Well, today they got it in some force.
The key objective of all of this is to free up the port area so that urgently needed aid supplies, food and fuel can come in on some ships. And, Kyra, we hope that's going to happen very soon.
PHILLIPS: Gaven, you see the pictures. You see obviously people there in Liberia very excited about the Marines coming in, the peacekeepers being there. But indeed, is the water, is the food, the bags coming through of grain and rice, is it getting to the people?
MORRIS: Not yet. Not at all. And that was a big reason behind that looting that you spoke of earlier. We saw looting again today even as the West African peacekeepers move into that port area. Some people that haven't eaten, some of them for weeks, well, nothing substantial, raided warehouses and raided containers to get that food before the peacekeepers took control. Those ships are needed urgently. There is one just off the coast, and the hopes are that they can come in within the next couple of days. Once that happens, really, things are on the path to something different to what these people in these desperate cities have experienced for the last few weeks -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Gaven Morris, we'll continue to follow the story and check in with you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
