US Troops May go to Liberia

LadyEagle · Jul 4, 2003

US said to OK idea of Liberia troops

But wants Taylor to leave before sending soldiers

By Maura Reynolds and Esther Schrader, Los Angeles Times, 7/4/2003

WASHINGTON - The United States has agreed in principle to send troops into the conflict-ridden African nation of Liberia, but it wants President Charles Taylor to step down first, US officials said yesterday.

Speaking with African journalists, President Bush stopped short of making Taylor's departure a condition for the deployment of US forces. But privately, administration officials said the United States would otherwise balk at sending peacekeepers.

In Monrovia, the Liberian capital, hundreds of people demonstrated in an unprecedented show of opposition to Taylor. Bush, meanwhile, kept up the pressure on the former warlord to leave.

''There's no question: Step one of any effective policy, whether we are involved or not, is for Charles Taylor to leave,'' Bush said.

''Taylor must go'' and ''No more Taylor; we want Bush,'' chanted more than 400 people outside the US Embassy as American Marines in flak jackets and helmets kept watch from the roof.

Bush said he had not made a final decision on whether or how to intervene in Liberia, which was founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves. ''I recognize the United States has ... a unique history with Liberia,'' he said. ''And therefore, it's created a certain sense of expectations. But I also want to make sure that there are certain expectations met as well. And one expectation is Mr. Taylor has got to leave. And that message is clear.''

Planning orders for a possible operation have been sent to US forces in Europe, and commanders have responded with recommendations for a unit of 500 to 2,000 highly mobile troops to head a largely African intervention force, military officials said.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and General Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spent part of yesterday studying the recommendations with their staffs.

''It's being reviewed on this side of the river,'' a Pentagon official said.

It was not clear when the Pentagon recommendations might be passed on to the president for authorization. Bush will leave Monday for a five-day tour of Africa. White House officials said they prefer that the question of a Liberian deployment be decided before his departure, so it wouldn't overshadow the rest of his African agenda.

Bush plans to visit Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, and Nigeria next week to promote his economic development and AIDS initiatives for the continent.
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Boston Globe

FYI: Liberia was a colony founded by America for American freed Slaves. (This was part of Abraham Lincoln's vision before he was assassinated, some historians note.) Liberia's flag is just like ours except it has ONE big star instead of 50.

Liberia used to be Free and Peaceful years ago when President Tubman, a Christian, was alive. After he died, Liberia has become more and more chaotic, ruled by wicked militant leaders, including Charles Taylor who has aided al-Qaeda in finances by funneling diamond smuggling trade from Sierra Leone (in which thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians and Christians have been slaughtered).

Thousands of people have thronged to Monrovia, the capital, begging for the US to intervene, it has been reported by cable news, BTW.

KenH · Jul 4, 2003

I would agree with the idea of sending troops to protect our embassy in Liberia.

KenH · Jul 4, 2003

Originally posted by SheEagle9/11:
Charles Taylor who has aided al-Qaeda
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I would be curious if you have a link for this. Neal Boortz on his website say that there was not any evidence of Taylor's support for terrorism. Perhaps you have a source he does not know about.

LadyEagle · Jul 4, 2003

http://www.guardian.co.uk/alqaida/story/0,12469,866406,00.html

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/diamond/2001/1102qaeda.htm

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/030516/80/e06in.html

KenH · Jul 4, 2003

Thanks, SheEagle9/11. I have emailed the links to Mr. Boortz.

mioque · Jul 5, 2003

A while ago there were actually rumours going around that Charles Taylor is a cannibal.
Normally I wouldn't mention this, but I heard it on the most politically correct radioprogram in the Netherlands. <De andere wereld van zondagmiddag> The sort of place they never say anything that might come across as stereotyping.

US Troops May go to Liberia

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