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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview with Stephan Faris of "Time" magazine
Aired July 26, 2003 - 07:02 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.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is sending the Marines towards Liberia, though they will not be deployed in the country, at least not yet. Now, the decision made following another barrage of mortar fire yesterday.
Well, today more mortars fell on Monrovia, killing at least 15 and ending another tenuous ceasefire. We're going to get the latest on Liberia from "TIME" magazine's Stephan Faris, who joins us on the phone from Monrovia.
Stephan, good morning, and thanks for joining us.
We talked first about the ceasefire. It was brokered yesterday, but very short-lived, correct?
STEPHAN FARIS, REPORTER, "TIME" MAGAZINE (on phone): Well, there has been several ceasefires we've talked about since the fighting began. However, not a single one seems to have held for any time at all. The ceasefire (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ceasefire, there's very little ceasing of fire on the ground.
ROBERTS: Well, Stephan, from what we understand, and as you're pointing out, these have been broken before and broken pretty quickly, because both sides aren't willing to let the other side, I guess, take a break. And one side saying, We're not going to let them close enough to our throats, or at least that's what I'm learning about Charles Taylor's forces.
FARIS: Well, yes, this is -- this last ceasefire was a unilateral ceasefire by the rebels, who said, We're going to stop and hold our position. Well, the government has always said that the rebels have to pull back, so even the terms of the ceasefire are acceptable only to one side. So I think that's what happened this time.
ROBERTS: Stephan, what's the reaction there on the streets from people learning that U.S. troops have been deployed to the region?
FARIS: I was outside the American embassy watching people learn the news on the radio yesterday, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) contrast to last Saturday, when the fighting first started, and thousands of people took to the streets cheering and chanting at the merest rumor of peacekeepers, this time, I mean, they might as well have been hearing Bush saying, We don't know yet. I mean, there was absolutely no reaction. People are quite bitter. They think it should have happened a week ago. They've been watching their friends and their families, you know, be carted off in wheelbarrows towards -- to be buried in sandy beaches, or their legs broken, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the hospitals. And their reaction has been, Well, it's a good step, but it's not enough for us.
ROBERTS: Stephan, real quickly, before we let you go, the latest on Charles Taylor. Is he going to be stepping down? The latest word, I think, from his people, kind of tenuous right now.
FARIS: Well, it's -- he's said a million different things in a million different ways, and each time he seems to have -- be able to amend it. Today is the national independence day of Liberia, and he'll be giving a speech at a stadium. We'll all be watching very carefully to see what he says then.
ROBERTS: Stephan Faris, live for us this morning on the phone in Monrovia. Stephan, thanks very much.
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 July 26, 2003 - 07:02 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is sending the Marines towards Liberia, though they will not be deployed in the country, at least not yet. Now, the decision made following another barrage of mortar fire yesterday.
Well, today more mortars fell on Monrovia, killing at least 15 and ending another tenuous ceasefire. We're going to get the latest on Liberia from "TIME" magazine's Stephan Faris, who joins us on the phone from Monrovia.
Stephan, good morning, and thanks for joining us.
We talked first about the ceasefire. It was brokered yesterday, but very short-lived, correct?
STEPHAN FARIS, REPORTER, "TIME" MAGAZINE (on phone): Well, there has been several ceasefires we've talked about since the fighting began. However, not a single one seems to have held for any time at all. The ceasefire (UNINTELLIGIBLE) ceasefire, there's very little ceasing of fire on the ground.
ROBERTS: Well, Stephan, from what we understand, and as you're pointing out, these have been broken before and broken pretty quickly, because both sides aren't willing to let the other side, I guess, take a break. And one side saying, We're not going to let them close enough to our throats, or at least that's what I'm learning about Charles Taylor's forces.
FARIS: Well, yes, this is -- this last ceasefire was a unilateral ceasefire by the rebels, who said, We're going to stop and hold our position. Well, the government has always said that the rebels have to pull back, so even the terms of the ceasefire are acceptable only to one side. So I think that's what happened this time.
ROBERTS: Stephan, what's the reaction there on the streets from people learning that U.S. troops have been deployed to the region?
FARIS: I was outside the American embassy watching people learn the news on the radio yesterday, and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) contrast to last Saturday, when the fighting first started, and thousands of people took to the streets cheering and chanting at the merest rumor of peacekeepers, this time, I mean, they might as well have been hearing Bush saying, We don't know yet. I mean, there was absolutely no reaction. People are quite bitter. They think it should have happened a week ago. They've been watching their friends and their families, you know, be carted off in wheelbarrows towards -- to be buried in sandy beaches, or their legs broken, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the hospitals. And their reaction has been, Well, it's a good step, but it's not enough for us.
ROBERTS: Stephan, real quickly, before we let you go, the latest on Charles Taylor. Is he going to be stepping down? The latest word, I think, from his people, kind of tenuous right now.
FARIS: Well, it's -- he's said a million different things in a million different ways, and each time he seems to have -- be able to amend it. Today is the national independence day of Liberia, and he'll be giving a speech at a stadium. We'll all be watching very carefully to see what he says then.
ROBERTS: Stephan Faris, live for us this morning on the phone in Monrovia. Stephan, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
