PRESIDENT Clinton has agreed to send US troops to Zaire to help in the relief operation there, but has laid down several conditions.
One of these is that the troops would not try to disarm any warring parties, according to the White House spokesman Mr Mike McCurry.
The US still has painful memories of its intervention in Somalia when 18 soldiers were killed as a result of an attempt to capture one of the warlords.
The US is considering sending a force of about 1,000 ground troops to take part in the proposed international relief operation in Zaire, headed by Canadian military forces. But officials warned that it was not yet "a done deal".
About several thousand other US troops could be used in supporting roles such as transporting supplies. The Pentagon has already sent a 37 member team to assess the situation in Zaire.
Consultations are taking place between Canada and the US over the definition of the mission to Zaire. One of the issues which has to be settled is the "rules of engagement" and the amount of force that can be used by the international body.
The UN Secretary General, Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali, has said that Canada has agreed to lead a multinational contingent of up to 20,000 troops in Zaire. He said that more than a dozen nations, including South Africa, have pledged support.
The Canadian offer is said to be conditional on US participation. The intervention comes at a delicate moment for the US after the presidential election during which the Republican candidate, Mr Bob Dole, pledged never to allow US troops to be deployed abroad under UN command.
The US administration is also committed to denying Dr Boutros Ghali a second stint as Secretary General when his present term expires at the end of this year.
Maol Muire Tynan writes:
The Dail must give its approval to any role that Irish troops might play in a mission to Zaire, senior government sources have said.
The Government is expected to come under intense pressure, particularly as EU President, to respond positively to a UN request for military aid in the multinational force.
Such a request is likely from the UN within days but, sources said, the Government must examine the mandate under which the force would operate before making any decision. Its response will be determined by the nature of UN mandate. The key question remains whether the operation falls within the parameters of the so called Chapter 7 heading which provides for peace enforcement as opposed to peacekeeping operations.
Irish troops have only once been involved in "peace enforcement", in Somalia, and this action required Oireachtas approval.
Mr John O'Shea, director of GOAL, welcomed the Amen can initiative. "It is phenomenal news, the only opportunity to save millions of lives."