U.S. Discusses Sending Troops to Aid Liberia

WASHINGTON -- Facing growing international pressure to intervene militarily in Liberia, the Bush administration said Tuesday that it was “actively discussing” a U.S. role there, and did not rule out sending American troops to the war-torn West African nation.

Administration officials have been sending ever-stronger signals in recent days that Washington is edging away from its reluctance to lend U.S. troops for international peacekeeping missions.

Opening the door to such work, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said, “We’re actively discussing how best to support the international efforts to help Liberia return to peace and to the rule of law.”

The goal, he said, would be to make sure that a tenuous cease-fire takes root. Asked specifically whether President Bush was considering sending U.S. troops to Liberia, the spokesman said, “I’m not ruling it out.”

The statement -- coming on top of others by administration officials acknowledging a stepped-up focus on Liberia, and amid mounting pressure from international leaders for a broader U.S. role -- was the most direct acknowledgment to date that Bush may be on the verge of expanding the nation’s military commitment overseas and sending troops on a peacekeeping mission that he originally disparaged.

Before taking office, Bush expressed opposition to “nation-building” roles for the United States in general, and to peacekeeping work by the U.S. military in particular.

The debate within the administration over whether to lead an international peacekeeping force in Liberia has intensified as the security situation there continues to deteriorate and the United Nations steps up its pleas for U.S. help. Adding to the sense of urgency is Bush’s impending departure on a five-day African trip. The president is set to leave Monday for Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria.

On Monday, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting on the situation in Liberia, adding to the pressure Washington faces to take on a military leadership role.

Over the weekend, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for a multinational force to prevent more bloodshed in Liberia, racked by civil war since 1989. He reinforced that message Monday in Geneva, where he said the United States had a special responsibility for Liberia. The country was founded in 1822 by freed American slaves.

On Tuesday, Annan said after a meeting with Swiss President Pascal Couchepin in Kehrsatz: “We need a country with military capacity, that can deploy a robust force -- it doesn’t have to be very large -- that can make a difference on the ground and team up with West African forces.

“Many expect the U.S. to lead that operation,” Annan said, according to Reuters news agency. “Several countries, members of the U.N., have appealed for that.”

The news agency also reported that a representative of Liberian President Charles Taylor had reiterated Taylor’s previous offer to step down -- but not until a peace agreement is in place between forces loyal to the president and rebels seeking his ouster.

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Monday on PBS’ “NewsHour” that the administration’s attention to Liberia “has become more intense.”

Powell said he had been “in very close touch” with Annan and had spoken with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin about the matter.

“There’s a sense of urgency with respect to the situation,” Powell said.

Under consideration is a proposal advanced by a group of African leaders, who met in Ghana with ambassadors from U.N. Security Council member nations. The African leaders offered 3,000 troops if the United States would contribute 2,000.

The troops would be assigned to restore peace in a nation where fighting between rebels and Taylor loyalists has brought new chaos in recent weeks; nearly one-third of the population, about 1 million people, has sought refuge in the capital, Monrovia, Annan has said.

Taylor has balked at accepting a recent cease-fire agreement that required him to leave office by July 17. His refusal sparked new fighting and looting in Monrovia. Bush has also called on Taylor to step down.

Fleischer would not say whether Taylor, in return for his resignation, would be given immunity from prosecution for war crimes.

Taylor, a former U.S. jail escapee who worked as a truck driver in Boston before returning to wage war in his native Liberia, came to power in a tainted election in 1997 and was recently indicted by a U.N.-backed war crimes court for his role in neighboring Sierra Leone’s civil war.

Fleischer said the United States’ decision on whether to send troops to Liberia would be based on the administration’s judgment of the best way “to help the cease-fire to take hold.”

The White House press secretary also said, in response to a question, that despite other deployments -- about 9,000 troops in Afghanistan and 150,000 in Iraq -- a decision on whether to send forces to Liberia did not revolve around whether the U.S. military would be stretched too thin by a new assignment in Africa.

About 1.4 million U.S. troops are on active duty.

The flurry of attention devoted to Liberia reflects the administration’s effort to keep the issue from hanging over Bush’s visit to Africa, his first as president.

The trip is intended to focus on promoting democracy and economic growth while also drawing attention to Washington’s commitment of $15 billion over five years to help Africa and the Caribbean cope with AIDS.