Heavy fighting engulfed the Liberian capital Monrovia today, killing at least60 people as mortars pounded the city in an all-out battle between rebels andthe forces of President Charles Taylor.
Enraged Liberians lined up at least 18 bloodied, mangled bodies in the streetoutside the US embassy compound, after a shell hit an American diplomaticcompound across the street, where at least 10,000 people have taken refuge.
Some 4,500 more American sailors and Marines have been ordered to positionthemselves closer to Liberia to be ready for possible duty in the embattled WestAfrican nation, US officials said in Washington.
The mortar barrage came as helicopters swooped in bringing US 41 marines fromSpain to secure the American embassy.
The aircraft dropped off marines wearing green camouflage, body armour andhelmets and took off carrying between 25 and 30 foreign aid workers and someforeign journalists.
In another neighbourhood, a shell hit a house, killing 18 people inside,emergency workers at the scene said. Another 27 Liberians were killed in otherattacks today, hospital officials said.
One shell hit the commissary building inside the main US embassy compound, butno one was injured. An American journalist was wounded in Monrovia's port area,the scene of fierce fighting for several days.
Two Liberian guards working for the American embassy were wounded when theshell hit the residence complex across the street.
Liberians have pleaded with the United States to send peacekeepers to enforcean oft-violated June 17th ceasefire, and today's limited deployment to protectthe embassy frustrated many.
With thousands of Liberians outside the compound asking when troops would cometo protect them, the aid workers and journalists were evacuated. Clutching bagsand backpacks, they ran up the hill of the embassy compound through the pouringrain, as marines and embassy officials yelled, "Go, Go."
They were to fly to Freetown in neighbouring Sierra Leone.One of those being evacuated, aid worker Ms Eleanor Monbiot of World Vision, saidthat since Friday her organisation had to stop food distribution because workerswere hunkered down in a compound. Tens of thousands of people have flocked tothe city, desperate to escape the mortar and gun fire.
Clustered on street corners, Liberians listened on hand-held radios to news ofthe American Marines being deployed to defend the US embassy.
Liberians are weary after 14 years of bloody turmoil. Many say they won't besatisfied that stability is possible until US peacekeepers land in the country,founded more than 150 years ago by freed American slaves.
Warlord-turned-president Taylor has pledged to resign and accept an offer ofasylum in Nigeria - but only after peacekeepers arrive to ensure an orderlytransition.
President George Bush has set Taylor's departure as a condition to sending UStroops.
West African nations are planning to send more than 1,500 soldiers to enforcethe ceasefire. But with peacekeepers yet to arrive, Taylor has vowed to fightfor Monrovia, his only remaining stronghold.
In Washington, the State Department called for an immediate ceasefire by allparties and a focus on continuing peace talks in Ghana aimed at setting up aunity government to oversee fresh elections.
PA