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CNN Saturday Morning News
Taylor Prepared to Step Down if International Peacekeepers Arrive
Aired July 05, 2003 - 09:04 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he said it before. Now Charles Taylor is giving a condition for his exit. The Liberian president says he'll step down after international peacekeepers arrive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: It is important for peacekeepers to arrive in Liberia. You know, sometimes people miscalculate. Stepping down from office, leaving a void with no international peacekeepers here, no orderly transition for that stepping-down. Could be extremely chaotic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Our correspondent in Monrovia is Jeff Koinange, and he joins us now via videophone. And, Jeff, is the president giving any sort of suggested timeline, perhaps?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, what he basically said is, if the peacekeepers arrived tomorrow, he would leave tomorrow. If they arrive next week, then he'll leave then. But those were his conditions, because, he said, most importantly, he doesn't want to leave a power vacuum.
He insists there are too many people -- too many guns in the hands of too many people, and what would happen is, these -- his militia would realize that their leader has left, and they would turn the guns on the innocent civilians and they would loot, rape, plunder, and burn, and the whole capital would be on fire, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Jeff, already there are a group of U.S. officials that are likely to embark on traveling there, sort of a precursor to what would be the U.S. peacekeepers. Are there any ramblings or any Liberian civilians who are reacting to any of that?
KOINANGE: Absolutely. It's very welcome news. We understand they could be here as early as Monday. They're calling them the assessment team. They'll see what the situation on the ground is like, they will see, in terms of numbers of troops, how many they would require, and then they will take the information back, and hopefully therefore bring in the peacekeepers.
Liberians here are welcoming them. They want them on the ground right now, because security is such a difficult situation right now. It's a deplorable situation. They need the aid workers to come in, they need a lot of food aid. They need shelter. Disease is setting in. There are a lot of displaced Liberians in the streets of Monrovia. They want the help. They need the help.
But aid workers will not come back unless the peacekeepers are on the ground to restore law and order, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Jeff, you had mentioned earlier that humanitarian aid groups, most of them left because of the situation there, the violence, et cetera. Well, if peacekeepers get on the ground soon, are you getting any indication that the humanitarian aid workers would make their way immediately, essentially, right on the heels of the peacekeepers?
KOINANGE: Absolutely. In fact, just that, literally right on the heels of the peacekeepers. In fact, I just got off the phone with one of the few remaining aid workers. And they told me the situation on the ground is deplorable at worst, and miserable at best, and the Red Cross is also weighing in and saying the situation is very, very fragile right now, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jeff Koinange from Monrovia, thank you very much.
(NEWSBREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk a little bit more about Liberia and the possible U.S. military options there.
Joining us from Washington is CNN security analyst Kelly McCann. Good morning, good to see you, Kelly.
KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk about this advance team. In Jeff's report, he indicates that it could be as early as Monday when this advance team makes its way to Monrovia. What would they do once they actually get there? What are they actually surveying?
MCCANN: Well, typically, if the thought process holds, I just spoke to Barbara Starr, she's got some interesting information in the 10 hour, but basically, if the thinking holds, there would be a Marine element. The commando in it would go for it and meet with the country team.
The country team's comprised of the chief of mission, the ambassador, and then the senior representatives from all the U.S. departments or agencies that are there, that would be, like, USAID, it would be the political and economics office, et cetera.
And they would determine how best to go forward. Now, while that's occurring, forces can either be configured here domestically and then shipped overseas, if it's a Marine MEU or (UNINTELLIGIBLE), with special operations capability, or they could be flown in, although I really think that it would be doubtful they'd be flown in, because then there's no self-sustainability. So they basically will make busy over the next two hours, or two weeks, while the forces are configured, and then actually arrive in Liberia.
WHITFIELD: And how many people are we talking about prior to what is believed to be up to 2,000 peacekeepers, if the U.S. does, indeed, send peacekeepers?
MCCANN: That doesn't mean that all 2,000 would be on the ground. Basically, the ground combat element is a Marine battalion, about 1,200, 1,250 men, plus the fort people, and then the air combat element, which is normally a squadron with troop transports, 50 -- CH- 53 helicopters, CH-46 helicopters, 88-B jump jets, and Harrier jump jets.
And so all of that, you know, together, is much more than 1,200. But the actual guys on the ground, boots in the sand, probably will number somewhere around 750.
WHITFIELD: And there had been some talk that some of those troops may come from Spain, or perhaps even those who are stationed in not too far away Djibouti. What are your thoughts?
MCCANN: Well, even better, because if you think about that region, to the left and right, you've gone Guinea, a little bit in turmoil, you've got Sierra Leone, of course, in turmoil, and then you've got the French deployment in the Ivory Coast, which is just, again, a neighboring country.
So that region right now is a hotbed of activity. And this is all based on the fear of a failed state, and what that means, you know, for terrorism and threats to the U.S.
Plus, there's a moral imperative here, you know, the thing -- it is the thing to do morally.
However, there are some key elements in Liberia where I know the U.S. is looking, and that is, that it's a drug transshipment point for cocaine and heroin. It's one of the largest ships' registries in the world, which means that the changing of flags is very easy to do. There's a lot of arms movement through the area.
So we have another reason to be there, not to mention, it's another case of the U.N. needing us instead of being able to actually field a world army. So it's an interesting situation.
WHITFIELD: And there are indications that French troops as well as, perhaps, British troops would also be called in here, but there's also been a point, a very strong point being made, that other African nations would want to offer some kind of peacekeeping support as well. Which African nations would you believe could be replied upon to help out in the case of Liberia?
MCCANN: You know, that's a really difficult question, Fredricka, for the very reason that a lot of times the U.S. just doesn't understand tribal relationships. What looks good on the surface, and you think is a helping hand, might represent a more insidious kind of reason why people would want too go in there.
So until we get a better handle on really understanding the tribal factions and how that all interrelates -- and that's worldwide, I mean, we ran into the same thing in Afghanistan, we run into the same thing now in Iraq. We just don't do a great job at understanding that. I'm not sure who those African nations would be, but it's imperative that some play.
WHITFIELD: And I know you're not working at the White House, but I know you have a lot of sources in the executive office as well. President Bush is making his way to Africa next week. Senegal is one place, South Africa another. It's likely that Liberia is going to come up in those discussions as he meets with leaders of five nations, African nations, in five days.
MCCANN: Oh, there's no doubt. I mean, you know, the draw-down on... , a lot of people have talked about the drawn-down in the military. The truth is that this falls under the U.S. EUCOM, or European Command, not under CentCom, which is totally deployed, or pretty much deployed, in their regions of conflict. Right now, EUCOM has people in the Balkans, and they've got a few people in West Africa.
But more importantly, it's this diplomatic effort. I mean, if you look at President Bush's administration, they've got to be busting at the seams trying to keep all of these things moving, and the common theme is war on terrorism, which is good, in that it acts as a glue, but it's got to be taxing the diplomatic effort as much as the military effort.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly McCann, thanks very much. Always good to see you.
MCCANN: Thanks, Fred.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
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Aired July 5, 2003 - 09:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he said it before. Now Charles Taylor is giving a condition for his exit. The Liberian president says he'll step down after international peacekeepers arrive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRES. CHARLES TAYLOR, LIBERIA: It is important for peacekeepers to arrive in Liberia. You know, sometimes people miscalculate. Stepping down from office, leaving a void with no international peacekeepers here, no orderly transition for that stepping-down. Could be extremely chaotic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Our correspondent in Monrovia is Jeff Koinange, and he joins us now via videophone. And, Jeff, is the president giving any sort of suggested timeline, perhaps?
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, what he basically said is, if the peacekeepers arrived tomorrow, he would leave tomorrow. If they arrive next week, then he'll leave then. But those were his conditions, because, he said, most importantly, he doesn't want to leave a power vacuum.
He insists there are too many people -- too many guns in the hands of too many people, and what would happen is, these -- his militia would realize that their leader has left, and they would turn the guns on the innocent civilians and they would loot, rape, plunder, and burn, and the whole capital would be on fire, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And, Jeff, already there are a group of U.S. officials that are likely to embark on traveling there, sort of a precursor to what would be the U.S. peacekeepers. Are there any ramblings or any Liberian civilians who are reacting to any of that?
KOINANGE: Absolutely. It's very welcome news. We understand they could be here as early as Monday. They're calling them the assessment team. They'll see what the situation on the ground is like, they will see, in terms of numbers of troops, how many they would require, and then they will take the information back, and hopefully therefore bring in the peacekeepers.
Liberians here are welcoming them. They want them on the ground right now, because security is such a difficult situation right now. It's a deplorable situation. They need the aid workers to come in, they need a lot of food aid. They need shelter. Disease is setting in. There are a lot of displaced Liberians in the streets of Monrovia. They want the help. They need the help.
But aid workers will not come back unless the peacekeepers are on the ground to restore law and order, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And Jeff, you had mentioned earlier that humanitarian aid groups, most of them left because of the situation there, the violence, et cetera. Well, if peacekeepers get on the ground soon, are you getting any indication that the humanitarian aid workers would make their way immediately, essentially, right on the heels of the peacekeepers?
KOINANGE: Absolutely. In fact, just that, literally right on the heels of the peacekeepers. In fact, I just got off the phone with one of the few remaining aid workers. And they told me the situation on the ground is deplorable at worst, and miserable at best, and the Red Cross is also weighing in and saying the situation is very, very fragile right now, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Jeff Koinange from Monrovia, thank you very much.
(NEWSBREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk a little bit more about Liberia and the possible U.S. military options there.
Joining us from Washington is CNN security analyst Kelly McCann. Good morning, good to see you, Kelly.
KELLY MCCANN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Hi, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk about this advance team. In Jeff's report, he indicates that it could be as early as Monday when this advance team makes its way to Monrovia. What would they do once they actually get there? What are they actually surveying?
MCCANN: Well, typically, if the thought process holds, I just spoke to Barbara Starr, she's got some interesting information in the 10 hour, but basically, if the thinking holds, there would be a Marine element. The commando in it would go for it and meet with the country team.
The country team's comprised of the chief of mission, the ambassador, and then the senior representatives from all the U.S. departments or agencies that are there, that would be, like, USAID, it would be the political and economics office, et cetera.
And they would determine how best to go forward. Now, while that's occurring, forces can either be configured here domestically and then shipped overseas, if it's a Marine MEU or (UNINTELLIGIBLE), with special operations capability, or they could be flown in, although I really think that it would be doubtful they'd be flown in, because then there's no self-sustainability. So they basically will make busy over the next two hours, or two weeks, while the forces are configured, and then actually arrive in Liberia.
WHITFIELD: And how many people are we talking about prior to what is believed to be up to 2,000 peacekeepers, if the U.S. does, indeed, send peacekeepers?
MCCANN: That doesn't mean that all 2,000 would be on the ground. Basically, the ground combat element is a Marine battalion, about 1,200, 1,250 men, plus the fort people, and then the air combat element, which is normally a squadron with troop transports, 50 -- CH- 53 helicopters, CH-46 helicopters, 88-B jump jets, and Harrier jump jets.
And so all of that, you know, together, is much more than 1,200. But the actual guys on the ground, boots in the sand, probably will number somewhere around 750.
WHITFIELD: And there had been some talk that some of those troops may come from Spain, or perhaps even those who are stationed in not too far away Djibouti. What are your thoughts?
MCCANN: Well, even better, because if you think about that region, to the left and right, you've gone Guinea, a little bit in turmoil, you've got Sierra Leone, of course, in turmoil, and then you've got the French deployment in the Ivory Coast, which is just, again, a neighboring country.
So that region right now is a hotbed of activity. And this is all based on the fear of a failed state, and what that means, you know, for terrorism and threats to the U.S.
Plus, there's a moral imperative here, you know, the thing -- it is the thing to do morally.
However, there are some key elements in Liberia where I know the U.S. is looking, and that is, that it's a drug transshipment point for cocaine and heroin. It's one of the largest ships' registries in the world, which means that the changing of flags is very easy to do. There's a lot of arms movement through the area.
So we have another reason to be there, not to mention, it's another case of the U.N. needing us instead of being able to actually field a world army. So it's an interesting situation.
WHITFIELD: And there are indications that French troops as well as, perhaps, British troops would also be called in here, but there's also been a point, a very strong point being made, that other African nations would want to offer some kind of peacekeeping support as well. Which African nations would you believe could be replied upon to help out in the case of Liberia?
MCCANN: You know, that's a really difficult question, Fredricka, for the very reason that a lot of times the U.S. just doesn't understand tribal relationships. What looks good on the surface, and you think is a helping hand, might represent a more insidious kind of reason why people would want too go in there.
So until we get a better handle on really understanding the tribal factions and how that all interrelates -- and that's worldwide, I mean, we ran into the same thing in Afghanistan, we run into the same thing now in Iraq. We just don't do a great job at understanding that. I'm not sure who those African nations would be, but it's imperative that some play.
WHITFIELD: And I know you're not working at the White House, but I know you have a lot of sources in the executive office as well. President Bush is making his way to Africa next week. Senegal is one place, South Africa another. It's likely that Liberia is going to come up in those discussions as he meets with leaders of five nations, African nations, in five days.
MCCANN: Oh, there's no doubt. I mean, you know, the draw-down on... , a lot of people have talked about the drawn-down in the military. The truth is that this falls under the U.S. EUCOM, or European Command, not under CentCom, which is totally deployed, or pretty much deployed, in their regions of conflict. Right now, EUCOM has people in the Balkans, and they've got a few people in West Africa.
But more importantly, it's this diplomatic effort. I mean, if you look at President Bush's administration, they've got to be busting at the seams trying to keep all of these things moving, and the common theme is war on terrorism, which is good, in that it acts as a glue, but it's got to be taxing the diplomatic effort as much as the military effort.
WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly McCann, thanks very much. Always good to see you.
MCCANN: Thanks, Fred.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Arrive>
