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American Morning
Operation Mediation
Aired April 01, 2003 - 08:24 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The Reverend Jesse Jackson has negotiated the release of dozens of Americans held overseas in past conflicts. Now in addition to offering to track down two missing journalists in Iraq, he says he'll try to help the families of other American POWs. It is believed that seven are now being held by Iraq, and that Shoshana Johnson of the U.S. Army is among them.
Her aunt Margaret Thorne (ph) Henderson joins us from Los Angeles, along with the Reverend Jackson, who joins us Washington D.C. today.
Welcome to you both. Thank you very much for joining us.
So, Margaret, first off, what are you being told about your niece?
MARGARET HENDERSON, AUNT OF POW JOHNSON: Well, we have not heard anything different. The last we heard was that the Red Cross was going to be making some negotiations to speak to the Iraqi people to gain access to the prisoners of war. And we were hoping that at least someone would go in and try to assess injuries that Shoshana has in her leg.
ZAHN: What are you hoping Reverend Jackson can accomplish for your family?
HENDERSON: I'm hoping, in the past, Reverend Jackson has been so, you know, good at helping folks be released, that we're hoping at least gain some access to those prisoners.
My goal, my hope is that my niece, from a nursing perspective, will have some care to that leg. I worry about infection. And I've said before, worry about a loss of limb and possibly loss of life as a result.
ZAHN: We certainly understand that.
Reverend Jackson, we were just showing pictures of some of the releases that you've secured of servicemen over the years. We're going to show more of those. In 1984, you were able to negotiate with Syria for the release of a Naval lieutenant. More recently, in 1999, you met with Mr. Milosevic to obtain the release of three soldiers there.
This is a different situation of the war with Iraq. Do you have any optimism at all that you can make a difference? REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: Well, it is different. The relatives of the two news journalists called on Sunday and asked, would I support them? Of course, I said I'll do the very best I can. We met with Kofi Annan last Thursday seeking access for the Red Cross to get the whereabouts of the POWs and the missing in action.
When I went there in 1990, we got 600 persons released. That was some dialogue at that time. Now the concern is that the POWs and those who are missing are -- can be seen and can be afforded Geneva treatment. But for Iraqis as well. I really feel that if we take a humane approach and concern about all of those who are trapped in this way, we might get a hearing.
But our hearts are so heavy about the war and certainly about those who are now prisoners of war.
ZAHN: Reverend Jackson, have you or any of the other religious leaders who might join in this effort had any contact at all with Iraq officials?
JACKSON: Well, no, but with religious leaders, each time I have gone, one point missed is I think the religious institutions are always more old and more stable than the political institutions are. You do know that Iraq is Babylon, and that there are these body of religious leaders there connected to National Council of Churches here, people like Dr. Edgar, and the role of Catholic churches. And so the role of the religious leader leaders are very critical in any kind of an effort to see them to gain their release. And so we're trying to make contact both at the Iraqi ambassador in New York, with our own State Department, but with appealing to all involved, please let the Red Cross in, and/or let some religious leaders in to see them, hopefully to make an appeal to gain their release.
ZAHN: Does the U.S. government want you getting involved in this, Reverend Jackson?
JACKSON: I'm sure that they wouldn't. On the other hand, they would not be against knowing the whereabouts of our prisoners of war, or those missing in action. It's always a kind of delicate balance here.
I remember President Reagan said we can't stop you from going, but if you do go and you fail and prove you can't do it, if you do get Goodman back, bring him to the White House, and we did just that.
In the case of the Milosevic and Yugoslavia, the White House was leading a bombing raid. They say, if you go, it's dangerous. We say, we'll take the risk, say well, Milosevic will not release them. But if he does, bring them out, and so we brought them out. So peace is like war, peace is risky. And we determined that peace and reconciliation is worth the risk.
ZAHN: We will be following this with a great deal of interest. Reverend Jackson and Margaret Thorne (ph) Henderson, our thoughts with you and your family. I know you're very worried about the wounds on your niece's leg, and we hope you get some kind of an update soon.
Thanks again for your time this morning.
HENDERSON: Thank you.
JACKSON: Thank 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 April 1, 2003 - 08:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The Reverend Jesse Jackson has negotiated the release of dozens of Americans held overseas in past conflicts. Now in addition to offering to track down two missing journalists in Iraq, he says he'll try to help the families of other American POWs. It is believed that seven are now being held by Iraq, and that Shoshana Johnson of the U.S. Army is among them.
Her aunt Margaret Thorne (ph) Henderson joins us from Los Angeles, along with the Reverend Jackson, who joins us Washington D.C. today.
Welcome to you both. Thank you very much for joining us.
So, Margaret, first off, what are you being told about your niece?
MARGARET HENDERSON, AUNT OF POW JOHNSON: Well, we have not heard anything different. The last we heard was that the Red Cross was going to be making some negotiations to speak to the Iraqi people to gain access to the prisoners of war. And we were hoping that at least someone would go in and try to assess injuries that Shoshana has in her leg.
ZAHN: What are you hoping Reverend Jackson can accomplish for your family?
HENDERSON: I'm hoping, in the past, Reverend Jackson has been so, you know, good at helping folks be released, that we're hoping at least gain some access to those prisoners.
My goal, my hope is that my niece, from a nursing perspective, will have some care to that leg. I worry about infection. And I've said before, worry about a loss of limb and possibly loss of life as a result.
ZAHN: We certainly understand that.
Reverend Jackson, we were just showing pictures of some of the releases that you've secured of servicemen over the years. We're going to show more of those. In 1984, you were able to negotiate with Syria for the release of a Naval lieutenant. More recently, in 1999, you met with Mr. Milosevic to obtain the release of three soldiers there.
This is a different situation of the war with Iraq. Do you have any optimism at all that you can make a difference? REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW/PUSH COALITION: Well, it is different. The relatives of the two news journalists called on Sunday and asked, would I support them? Of course, I said I'll do the very best I can. We met with Kofi Annan last Thursday seeking access for the Red Cross to get the whereabouts of the POWs and the missing in action.
When I went there in 1990, we got 600 persons released. That was some dialogue at that time. Now the concern is that the POWs and those who are missing are -- can be seen and can be afforded Geneva treatment. But for Iraqis as well. I really feel that if we take a humane approach and concern about all of those who are trapped in this way, we might get a hearing.
But our hearts are so heavy about the war and certainly about those who are now prisoners of war.
ZAHN: Reverend Jackson, have you or any of the other religious leaders who might join in this effort had any contact at all with Iraq officials?
JACKSON: Well, no, but with religious leaders, each time I have gone, one point missed is I think the religious institutions are always more old and more stable than the political institutions are. You do know that Iraq is Babylon, and that there are these body of religious leaders there connected to National Council of Churches here, people like Dr. Edgar, and the role of Catholic churches. And so the role of the religious leader leaders are very critical in any kind of an effort to see them to gain their release. And so we're trying to make contact both at the Iraqi ambassador in New York, with our own State Department, but with appealing to all involved, please let the Red Cross in, and/or let some religious leaders in to see them, hopefully to make an appeal to gain their release.
ZAHN: Does the U.S. government want you getting involved in this, Reverend Jackson?
JACKSON: I'm sure that they wouldn't. On the other hand, they would not be against knowing the whereabouts of our prisoners of war, or those missing in action. It's always a kind of delicate balance here.
I remember President Reagan said we can't stop you from going, but if you do go and you fail and prove you can't do it, if you do get Goodman back, bring him to the White House, and we did just that.
In the case of the Milosevic and Yugoslavia, the White House was leading a bombing raid. They say, if you go, it's dangerous. We say, we'll take the risk, say well, Milosevic will not release them. But if he does, bring them out, and so we brought them out. So peace is like war, peace is risky. And we determined that peace and reconciliation is worth the risk.
ZAHN: We will be following this with a great deal of interest. Reverend Jackson and Margaret Thorne (ph) Henderson, our thoughts with you and your family. I know you're very worried about the wounds on your niece's leg, and we hope you get some kind of an update soon.
Thanks again for your time this morning.
HENDERSON: Thank you.
JACKSON: Thank 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
