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CNN SHOWDOWN: IRAQ
Maintenance Company Concerned About Friends
Aired March 26, 2003 - 12:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to have a chance to hear directly from the Pentagon in about an hour or so from now. There's a briefing for reporters scheduled for 1:30 PM Eastern. Of course, CNN will have live coverage -- Paula.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much, Wolf. We've talked a lot throughout the day about the status and fate of the POWs being held by the Iraqis. No one is more concerned about what happens to members of the 507th Maintenance Company than folks at Fort Bliss, Texas.
That's where that unit is based. And that's where we find CNN's Ed Lavandera right now. Ed, what's the latest from there?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, the latest here is that the military officials who are in charge of this base and have been trying to get the opportunity to talk publicly about what happened on Sunday to this maintenance company still haven't gotten the go-ahead from the Pentagon. It's been four days since this maintenance company took a wrong turn near the town of Nasiriya, and five POWs were taken. The fate of the others seven members of that 12-member group isn't clear at this point.
So a lot of people paying very close attention. There are five confirmed POWs. They come from this base. There are also the two prisoners of war flying that were flying the Apache helicopter over Iraq as well, that were taken into custody as well. So far these seven family members of the seven POWs, it's very difficult times right now as they continue to await word.
Many of the family members that we have spoken with say that they just haven't been able to get a lot of information out of military officials. And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that military officials say they just don't have a whole lot of information to pass along at this point as well.
But one of the issues that many family members are hoping will resolve itself very soon, and one of the things that they're paying close attention to, is the status of the Red Cross, and whether or not officials from the Red Cross will be able to get in to see these prisoners of war quickly. Many of the family members say they understand that negotiations are underway. Red Cross officials trying to not only get in to see the American POWs., but the Iraqi POWs as well.
And we had the chance to speak with the father of Shoshana Johnson a few days ago. And he says that the most important thing on his mind right now is to get that Red Cross in. To be able to see his daughter and the other six POWs, because it's very important. That's the only way we're going to have to be able to determine, they say, whether or not these prisoners were properly treated while they were in custody.
ZAHN: Pretty much what other parents of POWs have told us about the Red Cross being their lifeline as well. Just keeping the fingers crossed that those contacts will happen soon. Ed Lavandera, again, thanks so much.
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