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U.S. may send more troops into LiberiaDoubts about rebel withdrawal from port
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States may send additional troops ashore in Liberia by the end of the week to bolster assistance and to advise West African peacekeepers, according to a senior U.S. defense official. No final decisions have been made, the official said, but it's estimated the additional troops would number fewer than 100. The official, as well as other military sources, indicated the plan is in a state of flux because of uncertainty about whether rebel groups will withdraw from the capital of Monrovia by Thursday as promised. Earlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador John Blaney said the rebels had agreed to pull out of Monrovia's port. If the withdrawal occurs, the situation may be more peaceful and fewer U.S. security forces will be needed to guard the additional deployment of U.S. troops, the defense official said. Still, some of the troops are expected to come from the three U.S. Navy warships now offshore with more than 2,000 Marines onboard. The additional troops may be called upon to serve as additional liaison between the United States and the growing number of West African peacekeeping troops. The U.S. may also send military engineering experts to assess what would be needed to repair port facilities, and medical experts to assess what additional services might be required. A rebel withdrawal from the port would allow food and aid to reach the besieged capital, after Charles Taylor ceded power to Vice President Moses Blah and went into exile in Nigeria Monday. West African peacekeepers will deploy to the port and Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels will then withdraw beyond the city, Blaney said Tuesday after a meeting with rebel leaders. "We've just concluded discussions of a deal with LURD that will give permissive entry of peacekeepers into this area ... that includes the free port," Blaney told reporters in Monrovia. He said it would be done by noon (1200 GMT) Thursday. The presence of the LURD rebels at the port in the battle-scarred capital has stopped humanitarian aid from reaching hundreds of thousands of famished refugees. More than 2,000 people died after rebels fighting to oust Taylor launched a push into Monrovia two months ago. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said a ship loaded with food and supplies is docked in Sierra Leone, awaiting word that Monrovia's port has been reopened. A rebel official said they were willing to withdraw, but wanted government forces to leave central Monrovia. They did not specifically say that was a condition for peacekeepers to deploy to the port. Blaney said the rebels would eventually pull back to the Po River bridge, well beyond the outskirts of the city, but did not say when that would take place. Earlier, the commander of U.S. forces off Liberia arrived in the capital Monrovia for talks with rebels amid reports of new fighting. Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Turner, commander of the joint task force off the Liberian coast, flew by helicopter to the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia. Turner met Blaney, U.S. officials said, adding at the time that they hoped to visit the rebel-held port and extract a pledge from rebel leaders to open it to humanitarian aid, The Associated Press reported. The United States also said it wanted rebel leaders to pull fighters back and widen a buffer zone along the tense battlefront. Blah offered to share powerHours after taking the reins from Taylor on Monday, newly sworn-in President Blah offered to share power with the rebels and predicted that "within two or three days" he would make progress towards ending the 14-year war that has ripped apart his country. "I'm inviting the rebels to come and join me round this government," Blah said in an interview with CNN International, adding that he would consider offering the post of vice president to a rebel leader. (Full story) But rebel leader Sekou Conneh told Reuters he has no plans for direct talks. Blah is expected to hold the presidency until October, when a transitional government will take power. West African leaders have said a neutral figure would be picked by warring factions and political parties at peace talks in Ghana. Taylor flew to the Nigerian capital Abuja Monday night and arrived in the southeastern city of Calabar early Tuesday, where he was met by the state governor and driven to three luxury hilltop homes set aside for him and dozens of his family members and associates, Reuters said. CNN Correspondents Jeff Koinange and Gaven Morris contributed to this report. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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