US decision on Liberia awaited in Monrovia

Thousands of war-weary Liberians awaited a decision by the United States government on whether it would send troops to intervene in an ongoing conflict between President Charles Taylor and rebels, as international pressure continued on Washington to deploy a "robust force" to the West African country. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters in Washington that the US was determined to help Liberia find the path to peace. "The exact steps that could be taken are still under review," he said. Asked if the US could send troops to Liberia, Fleischer replied: "I am not ruling it out." Fleischer's remarks sparked off a demonstration outside the US embassy in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, where hundreds of people demanded that since Liberia was founded by freed American slaves in 1847, the US government had an obligation to intervene. US President George Bush was quoted by international news agencies on Wednesday as reaffirming an earlier demand that Taylor steps down, adding that Secretary of State Collin Powell would work closely with the United Nations to determine the best way to keep the ceasefire in place. "We're exploring all options as to how to keep the situation peaceful and stable," Bush said. "One thing has to happen: Taylor needs to leave the country. In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now." The Associated Press reported that Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, attended a White House meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss Liberia after the National Security Council failed on Tuesday to agree on a course of action. Rumsfeld, it said, was opposed to international proposals that the US send 2,000 troops to join 3,000 peacekeepers from West Africa. But last week, Taylor ruled out stepping down, saying he would serve until the end of his term in January. He reportedly rejected an offer to go to exile in Nigeria, demanding that his indictment in March by a UN-backed Special Court in Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity, first be rescinded. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's spokeswoman, Remi Oyo, however told IRIN in Lagos that Taylor plans to send his foreign minister to Nigeria to meet with Obasanjo. "The Liberia foreign minister is expected in Nigeria soon to bring a message to President Obasanjo in continuation of discussions to end the war there," she said. She declined to comment on whether Nigeria had offered an exile base for Taylor. But she added that Nigeria was ready to go along with ECOWAS, African Union and UN proposals to end the war. The leader of a Security Council team currently visiting West Africa, Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom, told reporters in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire on Wednesday that the UN Security Council wanted Taylor's indictment upheld. "We have asked West African leaders to understand that the Council will respect the decision of the Special Court in Sierra Leone," Greenstock said. "The Court is established and has an important role in reconciliation. But we also recognize that the leaders of the region have to take their own decisions." The team decided not to visit Liberia because of the fragile security in that country. Instead it left Abidjan on Wednesday for Ghana where it was due to meet Liberians attending peace talks in the capital, Accra. They would also meet officials of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which brokered the Liberian talks. Meantime, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Tuesday that the situation in Liberia was "urgent, tragic". He appealed for a prompt decision by the Security Council on his request to deploy a multi-national force in the country. "I would have preferred an urgent reaction," Annan told reporters in Switzerland. "We need a country with military capacity, that can deploy a robust force. It doesn't have to be very large [but should] make a difference on the ground and team up with West African forces that are ready to help monitor the ceasefire, to create space and time for peace negotiations to be completed and lead Liberia out of its misery." Pope John Paul II appealed to the international community to help Liberia, during his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square in Rome. The pontiff said he felt a "deep sorrow over the dramatic events [in Liberia]". In Monrovia, a truce in fighting held out for the fifth day. Aid workers planned to resume activities. But the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said massive looting of equipment and vehicles had affected operations. The agencies which were looted included PMU Interlife (a vehicle and medicines), Liberian Red Cross (six vehicles, 15 computers and lab equipment), Christian Aid Ministries (four vehicles and foodstuffs), World Vision (two vehicles and supplies), Africare (equipment and supplies), UNHCR (unspecified number of vehicles and warehouse contents) and MERLIN (fuel). The International Rescue Committee lost fuel, Save the Children (vehicles), OXFAM (one vehicle) and two national organisations, LRRRC and LUSH lost two and four vehicles respectively. Many of the more 100,000 displaced people who fled into Monrovia to escape fighting near their camps on the city's outskirts three weeks ago, started leaving the city centre. Four water bousers provided by the European Union and the Liberian Red Cross, were trucking water to the camps.