Tuesday, December 3, 1996 - 2:35 p.m.
Q: Can you provide an update on where we are in Central Africa, about help or not help out?
A: Well, we're still looking at the situation. We have about 440 people in Africa now -- most of them in Entebbe. As you know, the Canadians are hoping to send a survey team into Eastern Zaire soon, but they haven't gone in yet. It's a five person team -- four Canadians, one person from Great Britain -- to get a clear idea of what the situation is on the ground there. We're continuing to search with aircraft for concentrations of refugees so to better chart where they are. That's basically where we stand. We're prepared to act if we have to, but so far we do not have permission from other countries to set up a large aid delivery operation, and we're still trying to get better information on where the refugees are, what their condition is, and where they're going.
Q: Has the AC-130 flown any missions yet?
A: Yes. It flew on Sunday. To supplement the two P-3s flying there now which mainly take photographs of refugee concentrations, we now have an AC-130 which has been sent there because of its infrared capability and its ability to use infrared imagery to see either through cloud cover or at night. And...
Q: (inaudible)
A: Yeah. Actually there's a new group of photographs. I don't have any infrared imagery, but there's a new group of photographs that you can get from Jamie Graybeal, Lieutenant Commander Graybeal, today. I think these were taken from the P- 3s yesterday or the day before. I assume that they'll be put on the Internet.
A2: They should already be up there.
A: The moon, the back side of the moon is also on the Internet. The moon skating rink, moon rink is already on the Internet.
Q: Where are the AC-130s flying out of?
A: Flying out of Entebbe, I believe.
Q: As well as the P-3s?
A: The P-3s are also flying out of Entebbe.