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15 Members of U.S. Military Team Arrive at U.S. Embassy in Monrovia
Aired July 07, 2003 - 07:29 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: But first, 15 members of a U.S. military team arrived this morning at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia to assess how U.S. troops could help restore peace in Liberia.
Brent Sadler is live for us in Monrovia this morning -- Brent, good morning.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
First of all, I've got to tell you that about an hour and a half ago, at that now quiet heli -- landing pad behind me, we award the first deployment of a specialist team of military personnel, U.S. military personnel who are now assembling in the Liberian capital here inside the well protected U.S. Embassy compound. There's a couple more, at least, helicopters on their way, we understand, from an assembly point in neighboring Sierra Leone.
They're shuttling into here with these helicopter flights and then off loading men and equipment. This is not a deployment, Soledad, of peacekeepers. This is a strictly, at this stage, at least, a humanitarian mission.
Now, they are here to lay the groundwork for a possible U.S. intervention of a military humanitarian nature. What they'll be doing as early as today, once they assemble here, 13 of them on the ground already, another 20 or so of them on the way with military escorts who will be joining them on the ground for these missions. We're expecting them this afternoon here our time to go out of the embassy compound, walk a few hundred yards down the street and they'll see some pretty horrific scenes of poverty, destroyed property, really grim scenes outside this compound area.
And they'll be assessing the needs of about a million refugees throughout this country, looking at that problem, the severe water shortage problems, contamination of water, health, education, construction, you name it. Everything needs fixing up around here, not least trying to fix up a peace and a lasting opportunity for Liberia to recover from almost two decades of ruinous conflict.
Behind all that is the big question of the future of Liberia's president, Charles Taylor. He says he's accepted an invitation to go to Nigeria. Will he? When will he go? Still up in the air -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Brent Sadler, thank you very much for that. 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 7, 2003 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: But first, 15 members of a U.S. military team arrived this morning at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia to assess how U.S. troops could help restore peace in Liberia.
Brent Sadler is live for us in Monrovia this morning -- Brent, good morning.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
First of all, I've got to tell you that about an hour and a half ago, at that now quiet heli -- landing pad behind me, we award the first deployment of a specialist team of military personnel, U.S. military personnel who are now assembling in the Liberian capital here inside the well protected U.S. Embassy compound. There's a couple more, at least, helicopters on their way, we understand, from an assembly point in neighboring Sierra Leone.
They're shuttling into here with these helicopter flights and then off loading men and equipment. This is not a deployment, Soledad, of peacekeepers. This is a strictly, at this stage, at least, a humanitarian mission.
Now, they are here to lay the groundwork for a possible U.S. intervention of a military humanitarian nature. What they'll be doing as early as today, once they assemble here, 13 of them on the ground already, another 20 or so of them on the way with military escorts who will be joining them on the ground for these missions. We're expecting them this afternoon here our time to go out of the embassy compound, walk a few hundred yards down the street and they'll see some pretty horrific scenes of poverty, destroyed property, really grim scenes outside this compound area.
And they'll be assessing the needs of about a million refugees throughout this country, looking at that problem, the severe water shortage problems, contamination of water, health, education, construction, you name it. Everything needs fixing up around here, not least trying to fix up a peace and a lasting opportunity for Liberia to recover from almost two decades of ruinous conflict.
Behind all that is the big question of the future of Liberia's president, Charles Taylor. He says he's accepted an invitation to go to Nigeria. Will he? When will he go? Still up in the air -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Brent Sadler, thank you very much for that. 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>
