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CNN Saturday Morning News
Seven Rescued American POWs Homeward Bound
Aired April 19, 2003 - 08:02 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As we've been showing you live, the seven rescued American POWs, almost homeward bound at this moment. They're to leave Germany any time in the next hour on their way back to Fort Bliss, Texas.
For more, we go to CNN's Matthew Chance, live at Ramstein Air Base in Germany -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much, Anderson.
It's been a very long and very arduous journey for those seven rescued prisoners of war. We saw them, though, just a few moments ago, just a few minutes ago, making the start of their last leg of that physical journey, at least, as you pointed out earlier, walking, six of them walking and waving onto the aircraft, getting off a bus, getting onto that C-17 aircraft that's still stationed right behind me. And it's not expected to take off for another hour or so.
One of them, though, Shoshana Johnson, shot through both of her ankles with a bullet, was carried on. She still managed to wave, though, and a grin, as well.
As I say, it's been a very long journey for them. They were captured in two separate incidents inside Iraq as U.S. forces swept across the country. They were paraded on Iraqi television looking absolutely terrified. We know now they were moved from house to house, to prison to prison before U.S. forces in the region eventually tracked them down rescued them, taking them first to Kuwait, then, just a short distance from here, to Germany, Landstuhl American medical facility, where they received treatment over the past week for the various physical wounds that they have.
We know that three of those individuals had suffered from gunshot wounds, most seriously, of course, Shoshana Johnson, but also psychological care. I know you were talking about this a few moments ago and it's an essential part of the treatment that's been given to these prisoners of war. They've been given therapy by specialist combat psychologists to help them talk through the really terrifying experiences that they've had to endure during their time in Iraqi custody -- Anderson.
COOPER: Matthew, have doctors made any statements? I know yesterday there was this statement from David Williams, Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, who was praising the medical care that he and the other seven, the other six have received. But have doctors made any public statements about their health conditions, not so much psychological, but their physical condition?
CHANCE: Yes, in fact they have. They've actually made it clear that they're not prepared to discuss the psychological aspect of this, that that's something that's confidential between each and every one of the individuals. But on the physical front, I mean they're saying that the, everything's going very, very well, indeed. They're making very good recoveries.
Even Shoshana Johnson, the most seriously injured physically of all of them, although she's in that stretcher, they've given her a thorough -- as they have with the other six -- a thorough medical examination and all of them are doing pretty well. They didn't need any further surgery. They just sort of got continuing care here and it was deemed OK physically for them to make this journey today back to the United States where, of course, we understand there is a great deal of excitement and where they'll be welcomed as heroes.
COOPER: No doubt, and well deserved.
Matthew Chance, appreciate it, joining us from Ramstein Air Base.
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 19, 2003 - 08:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As we've been showing you live, the seven rescued American POWs, almost homeward bound at this moment. They're to leave Germany any time in the next hour on their way back to Fort Bliss, Texas.
For more, we go to CNN's Matthew Chance, live at Ramstein Air Base in Germany -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much, Anderson.
It's been a very long and very arduous journey for those seven rescued prisoners of war. We saw them, though, just a few moments ago, just a few minutes ago, making the start of their last leg of that physical journey, at least, as you pointed out earlier, walking, six of them walking and waving onto the aircraft, getting off a bus, getting onto that C-17 aircraft that's still stationed right behind me. And it's not expected to take off for another hour or so.
One of them, though, Shoshana Johnson, shot through both of her ankles with a bullet, was carried on. She still managed to wave, though, and a grin, as well.
As I say, it's been a very long journey for them. They were captured in two separate incidents inside Iraq as U.S. forces swept across the country. They were paraded on Iraqi television looking absolutely terrified. We know now they were moved from house to house, to prison to prison before U.S. forces in the region eventually tracked them down rescued them, taking them first to Kuwait, then, just a short distance from here, to Germany, Landstuhl American medical facility, where they received treatment over the past week for the various physical wounds that they have.
We know that three of those individuals had suffered from gunshot wounds, most seriously, of course, Shoshana Johnson, but also psychological care. I know you were talking about this a few moments ago and it's an essential part of the treatment that's been given to these prisoners of war. They've been given therapy by specialist combat psychologists to help them talk through the really terrifying experiences that they've had to endure during their time in Iraqi custody -- Anderson.
COOPER: Matthew, have doctors made any statements? I know yesterday there was this statement from David Williams, Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, who was praising the medical care that he and the other seven, the other six have received. But have doctors made any public statements about their health conditions, not so much psychological, but their physical condition?
CHANCE: Yes, in fact they have. They've actually made it clear that they're not prepared to discuss the psychological aspect of this, that that's something that's confidential between each and every one of the individuals. But on the physical front, I mean they're saying that the, everything's going very, very well, indeed. They're making very good recoveries.
Even Shoshana Johnson, the most seriously injured physically of all of them, although she's in that stretcher, they've given her a thorough -- as they have with the other six -- a thorough medical examination and all of them are doing pretty well. They didn't need any further surgery. They just sort of got continuing care here and it was deemed OK physically for them to make this journey today back to the United States where, of course, we understand there is a great deal of excitement and where they'll be welcomed as heroes.
COOPER: No doubt, and well deserved.
Matthew Chance, appreciate it, joining us from Ramstein Air Base.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
