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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Charles Taylor
Aired June 29, 2003 - 16:26 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: Barely fending off a rebel coup, Liberian President Charles Taylor says he's willing to step down after a transition period. Taylor's troops withstood a rebel onslaught into the capital of Monrovia this week. The fighting killed hundreds. President Bush, who begins his first trip to Africa on July 7, says Taylor should quit. Taylor responded this week in an exclusive interview with CNN's Jeff Koinange.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Hail To The Chief", Liberian style. These are Liberia's fighting forces on patrol at the St. Paul's River bridge, gateway into the capital, Monrovia. They've managed to successfully drive rebel forces back across the bridge for the second time in as many weeks and have just received word this their commander in chief is on his way to give them a pep talk. He arrives and is met with the traditional honors.
Taylor knows he has these brave men and women to thank for his still being in office. But he also knows he may not be president for too long, now that pressure is being applied from places as far away as the White House.
CHARLES TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA: And I think when President Bush says President Taylor needs to step down, I think that will very well happen, but I think that there are some benchmarks that ought to be put into place. And this is my greatest fear, that those benchmarks be put in place before there is an exit.
KOINANGE: Those benchmarks include a transitional government that needs to be in place leading to an election and the lifting of an indictment against Mr. Taylor for crimes against humanity in his alleged role in the decade-long civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone.
TAYLOR: I have never used the blood of my people to enrich myself, and will never do it.
KOINANGE: But he insists he needs time to break the news of his possible departure to his troops.
TAYLOR: I have to educate the combatants. People must know he's leaving. Once that is into place, by the time we get to January, I can al oh, everything will be in place.
KOINANGE: But try telling that to these soldiers, who have pledged loyalty to him for most of the past decade and a half.
BENJAMIN YEATEN, COMMANDER, LIBERIAN FORCES: We will behave very, very unreasonable to whosoever wants to see our downfall. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
KOINANGE (on camera): They may be undisciplined, and they may not even have standard military issue uniforms, but there's no questioning the bravery of these men, or indeed, their loyalty.
(voice-over): No doubt the line in the sand has been drawn, and Taylor is all too aware that his bluff has been called.
TAYLOR: And all I want right now is to make sure that peace returns here, democracy prevails here, the rule of law prevails here, and that I, members of my government, and military and security, and Liberians can come home and live in peace. And so I am committed to the process of withdrawing if this is going to solve the problem.
KOINANGE: And lurking in the back of Taylor's mind is the thought of the return of the rebels.
TAYLOR: What will stop LURD and MOTA (ph) from coming back? I would say the first guard will stop them, and the same thing that drove them out of here will stop them from coming back in.
KOINANGE: In other words, these brave and loyal troops who have devoted their lives to defending their country and their commander-in- chief.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, on the frontline in Liberia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 June 29, 2003 - 16:26 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Barely fending off a rebel coup, Liberian President Charles Taylor says he's willing to step down after a transition period. Taylor's troops withstood a rebel onslaught into the capital of Monrovia this week. The fighting killed hundreds. President Bush, who begins his first trip to Africa on July 7, says Taylor should quit. Taylor responded this week in an exclusive interview with CNN's Jeff Koinange.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Hail To The Chief", Liberian style. These are Liberia's fighting forces on patrol at the St. Paul's River bridge, gateway into the capital, Monrovia. They've managed to successfully drive rebel forces back across the bridge for the second time in as many weeks and have just received word this their commander in chief is on his way to give them a pep talk. He arrives and is met with the traditional honors.
Taylor knows he has these brave men and women to thank for his still being in office. But he also knows he may not be president for too long, now that pressure is being applied from places as far away as the White House.
CHARLES TAYLOR, PRESIDENT OF LIBERIA: And I think when President Bush says President Taylor needs to step down, I think that will very well happen, but I think that there are some benchmarks that ought to be put into place. And this is my greatest fear, that those benchmarks be put in place before there is an exit.
KOINANGE: Those benchmarks include a transitional government that needs to be in place leading to an election and the lifting of an indictment against Mr. Taylor for crimes against humanity in his alleged role in the decade-long civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone.
TAYLOR: I have never used the blood of my people to enrich myself, and will never do it.
KOINANGE: But he insists he needs time to break the news of his possible departure to his troops.
TAYLOR: I have to educate the combatants. People must know he's leaving. Once that is into place, by the time we get to January, I can al oh, everything will be in place.
KOINANGE: But try telling that to these soldiers, who have pledged loyalty to him for most of the past decade and a half.
BENJAMIN YEATEN, COMMANDER, LIBERIAN FORCES: We will behave very, very unreasonable to whosoever wants to see our downfall. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
KOINANGE (on camera): They may be undisciplined, and they may not even have standard military issue uniforms, but there's no questioning the bravery of these men, or indeed, their loyalty.
(voice-over): No doubt the line in the sand has been drawn, and Taylor is all too aware that his bluff has been called.
TAYLOR: And all I want right now is to make sure that peace returns here, democracy prevails here, the rule of law prevails here, and that I, members of my government, and military and security, and Liberians can come home and live in peace. And so I am committed to the process of withdrawing if this is going to solve the problem.
KOINANGE: And lurking in the back of Taylor's mind is the thought of the return of the rebels.
TAYLOR: What will stop LURD and MOTA (ph) from coming back? I would say the first guard will stop them, and the same thing that drove them out of here will stop them from coming back in.
KOINANGE: In other words, these brave and loyal troops who have devoted their lives to defending their country and their commander-in- chief.
Jeff Koinange, CNN, on the frontline in Liberia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
