Liberia: As violence flared up again in the Liberia capital, Monrovia, President Bush yesterday ordered an unspecified number of US troops to take up positions off the Liberian coast to give assistance to a future peacekeeping force. Conor O'Clery, North America Editor, reports.
His announcement came as tensions surfaced in Washington between the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, and the Pentagon over whether to commit US troops to the war-torn West African country.
The USS Iwo Jima, the lead ship in a three-ship Marine Expeditionary Unit, is expected to take several days to redeploy from the Mediterranean.
Mr Powell called publicly three days ago for the speedy deployment of US troops.
On Thursday, Gen Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, cautioned in a Senate hearing that there should be no deployment until the mission was defined and a withdrawal strategy worked out.
Gen Peter Pace of the Marine Corps also warned in the Senate hearing of the dangers of another Somalia, where US troops were forced to leave after a failed relief mission in 1993.
There were rumours in Washington that if the US did nothing, Mr Powell might consider resignation and that Mr Bush's move yesterday was designed as a compromise.
Stalemate over US action has also arisen over the condition set by Mr Bush that Liberian president, Mr Charles Taylor, leave the country before US troops went in and Mr Taylor's response that he would not leave until American forces arrived.
Reports from Monrovia yesterday said shells fell on the US embassy compound and on a school crowded with refugees, killing civilians, as rebels fought for control of the besieged city.
Mr Bush said "appropriate military capabilities" would be provided off shore.
The mission would be to help a force comprised mainly of West African peacekeepers whose immediate task would be to reinforce a ceasefire and "begin to create conditions where humanitarian assistance can be provided".
West African foreign ministers have promised to deploy two Nigerian battalions to Liberia within days as the first step in creating a 3,250-member international force.
Mr Bush has been considering his response since the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, pleaded with Washington in June to help secure a ceasefire then in place but which broke down last week.
"We're deeply concerned that the condition of the Liberian people is getting worse and worse and worse," Mr Bush told reporters at the White House.
"Aid can't get to the people. We're worried about the outbreak of disease. We're working very closely with the United Nations. They will be responsible for finding a political solution and they will be responsible for relieving US troops in short order."