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American Morning
President Taylor Due to Relinquish Control Any Minute
Aired August 11, 2003 - 08:10 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We're watching the story in Liberia right now. The president, Charles Taylor, supposed to have relinquished control of that country a few moments ago. There has been a delay at this time. It's not happening just yet, anyway.
A video phone picture, a little grainy, just to let you know right now, but this is the, well, this is the map of West Africa and Liberia. And this is the room where the resignation is expected to take place. We have heard singing by a local choir there.
And Jeff Koinange is live by way of video phone to tell us about the delay and why the hold up is happening now -- Jeff, what do you have?
Good afternoon there.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Bill.
I can tell you that there have been many (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or apparently President Taylor is at the airport right now, not because he's leaving right away, but because he has special guests. Several African presidents who were due in early this morning, their flights have been slightly delayed. So that means he's going to remain president for at least a couple more hours. In the meantime, you can hear the band in the background cranking up a tune. There's about 200 or 300 people in this room, all gathered, waiting in anticipation, waiting to see whether he will, indeed, step down.
Now, Sunday, Bill, President Taylor addressed the nation and it was an angry President Taylor who said he's been demonized by the West, he's been made into a villain. And he laid the blame directly at the door of the United States government for his failed presidency.
HEMMER: All right, Jeff, thanks.
Jeff Koinange.
A bit difficult to hear over the music and also the video phone there. But Jeff was talking about this address to the people of Liberia from yesterday, Charles Taylor's words and his warning before leaving his country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIAN PRESIDENT: I am stepping down from this office of my own volition. No one can take credit for asking me to step down. I did not want to leave this country. I can say I am being forced into exile by the world's superpower. I have decided to leave because for the first time in the history of most of the world, the United States is using food and other things as a weapon against the Liberian people. Because if the administration of President Bush says that they will not step on this soil and will do nothing as long as I am here, this further threatens your survival as a people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And, again, that was from yesterday, an address to the Liberian people. Charles Taylor, as Jeff Koinange was pointing out, is at the airport right now meeting with a number of African leaders, expected to accept this offer from Nigeria to take exile there.
We'll let you know what happens in Liberia and also with the 2,300 Marines posted offshore there, as well, floating in the waters.
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 - 08:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We're watching the story in Liberia right now. The president, Charles Taylor, supposed to have relinquished control of that country a few moments ago. There has been a delay at this time. It's not happening just yet, anyway.
A video phone picture, a little grainy, just to let you know right now, but this is the, well, this is the map of West Africa and Liberia. And this is the room where the resignation is expected to take place. We have heard singing by a local choir there.
And Jeff Koinange is live by way of video phone to tell us about the delay and why the hold up is happening now -- Jeff, what do you have?
Good afternoon there.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Bill.
I can tell you that there have been many (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or apparently President Taylor is at the airport right now, not because he's leaving right away, but because he has special guests. Several African presidents who were due in early this morning, their flights have been slightly delayed. So that means he's going to remain president for at least a couple more hours. In the meantime, you can hear the band in the background cranking up a tune. There's about 200 or 300 people in this room, all gathered, waiting in anticipation, waiting to see whether he will, indeed, step down.
Now, Sunday, Bill, President Taylor addressed the nation and it was an angry President Taylor who said he's been demonized by the West, he's been made into a villain. And he laid the blame directly at the door of the United States government for his failed presidency.
HEMMER: All right, Jeff, thanks.
Jeff Koinange.
A bit difficult to hear over the music and also the video phone there. But Jeff was talking about this address to the people of Liberia from yesterday, Charles Taylor's words and his warning before leaving his country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIAN PRESIDENT: I am stepping down from this office of my own volition. No one can take credit for asking me to step down. I did not want to leave this country. I can say I am being forced into exile by the world's superpower. I have decided to leave because for the first time in the history of most of the world, the United States is using food and other things as a weapon against the Liberian people. Because if the administration of President Bush says that they will not step on this soil and will do nothing as long as I am here, this further threatens your survival as a people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HEMMER: And, again, that was from yesterday, an address to the Liberian people. Charles Taylor, as Jeff Koinange was pointing out, is at the airport right now meeting with a number of African leaders, expected to accept this offer from Nigeria to take exile there.
We'll let you know what happens in Liberia and also with the 2,300 Marines posted offshore there, as well, floating in the waters.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
