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CNN Live Event/Special

PFC Lynch's Family Due to Arrive in Germany

Aired April 06, 2003 - 00:42   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 ANCHOR: Greg and Dee Lynch are due to arrive in Germany shortly to be reunited with their daughter, Jessica Lynch. She, of course, the private first class with the 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas, the woman rescued on Wednesday from an Iraqi hospital in Nasiriya. Our Matthew Chance is already in Germany; has the latest on Jessica's story -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Anderson, and this is a story which is obviously a very amazing one which we've been following and people around the world have been following as well. The focus, though, has shifted very much for the moment here to Germany, where we are awaiting, as well as Jessica Lynch herself, awaiting the arrival of her parents from West Virginia. Jessica Lynch, of course, the teenage prisoner of war, so dramatically rescued by U.S. Special Forces last week in Iraq, still recovering at a U.S. military facility here in Landshtul, Germany from her multiple injuries.

Back in West Virginia, we saw those very emotional scenes coming from her father, as her parents set out on their journey to Germany to be reunited with their daughter. Their U.S. military aircraft is expected to touch down at the Ramstein air base, a short distance from where I'm speaking to you now, within the next few hours or so.

U.S. military officials, though, saying that the first hours and perhaps the first few days of this reunion will be reserved for the family only. It would be private. We are not expecting to hear anything from the parents, or indeed from Jessica herself, although all the media from around the world have gathered here in order to find the possibility of hearing from Private Lynch herself. Of course, she is just 19 years old. On the exact circumstances of her capture and her treatment at the hands of Iraqi forces are still not altogether clear, at least not clear to us in the media. So obviously we're watching the situation very closely and we'll bring you up to date on the latest details, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Matthew, of course, the story took a whole other turn earlier today when our Jason Bellini showed us those images of Jessica Lynch's dog tag. One of those believed found by Marines in what was believed to be the house of the Baath Party official. Matthew, do you have a sense of what her condition is at this point? Is there any update on that?

CHANCE: Obviously, there is a great deal of concern about how Private Lynch was treated, as I mentioned, at the hands of Iraqi forces. On the issue of her condition, well, according to U.S. medical officials inside the Landshtul medical facility, her condition is quite serious, but said to be stable. A number of things have been pointed out. She has a broken right arm, they say. Both her legs are said to be broken. She has a broken ankle as well. Quite severe back injuries and cuts to the head. Now, she's been operated on for those injuries to her back, and may well have to have further operations on her back undertaken to correct the problem there.

The initial reports that we've received that she'd been shot and perhaps stabbed were found to be not true, according to the medical officers inside the Landshtul medical facility. She said to be in stable position, at least stable enough for her to meet up finally with her parents later today, Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Matthew Chance in Germany, 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 April 6, 2003 - 00:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Greg and Dee Lynch are due to arrive in Germany shortly to be reunited with their daughter, Jessica Lynch. She, of course, the private first class with the 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas, the woman rescued on Wednesday from an Iraqi hospital in Nasiriya. Our Matthew Chance is already in Germany; has the latest on Jessica's story -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Anderson, and this is a story which is obviously a very amazing one which we've been following and people around the world have been following as well. The focus, though, has shifted very much for the moment here to Germany, where we are awaiting, as well as Jessica Lynch herself, awaiting the arrival of her parents from West Virginia. Jessica Lynch, of course, the teenage prisoner of war, so dramatically rescued by U.S. Special Forces last week in Iraq, still recovering at a U.S. military facility here in Landshtul, Germany from her multiple injuries.

Back in West Virginia, we saw those very emotional scenes coming from her father, as her parents set out on their journey to Germany to be reunited with their daughter. Their U.S. military aircraft is expected to touch down at the Ramstein air base, a short distance from where I'm speaking to you now, within the next few hours or so.

U.S. military officials, though, saying that the first hours and perhaps the first few days of this reunion will be reserved for the family only. It would be private. We are not expecting to hear anything from the parents, or indeed from Jessica herself, although all the media from around the world have gathered here in order to find the possibility of hearing from Private Lynch herself. Of course, she is just 19 years old. On the exact circumstances of her capture and her treatment at the hands of Iraqi forces are still not altogether clear, at least not clear to us in the media. So obviously we're watching the situation very closely and we'll bring you up to date on the latest details, Anderson.

COOPER: Well, Matthew, of course, the story took a whole other turn earlier today when our Jason Bellini showed us those images of Jessica Lynch's dog tag. One of those believed found by Marines in what was believed to be the house of the Baath Party official. Matthew, do you have a sense of what her condition is at this point? Is there any update on that?

CHANCE: Obviously, there is a great deal of concern about how Private Lynch was treated, as I mentioned, at the hands of Iraqi forces. On the issue of her condition, well, according to U.S. medical officials inside the Landshtul medical facility, her condition is quite serious, but said to be stable. A number of things have been pointed out. She has a broken right arm, they say. Both her legs are said to be broken. She has a broken ankle as well. Quite severe back injuries and cuts to the head. Now, she's been operated on for those injuries to her back, and may well have to have further operations on her back undertaken to correct the problem there.

The initial reports that we've received that she'd been shot and perhaps stabbed were found to be not true, according to the medical officers inside the Landshtul medical facility. She said to be in stable position, at least stable enough for her to meet up finally with her parents later today, Anderson.

COOPER: All right, Matthew Chance in Germany, 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