The Hindu : Bush studying despatch of troops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 05, 2003

International

International

Bush studying despatch of troops

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Anti-government demonstrators gather at the U.S. embassy in the Liberian capital Monrovia on Thursday. — AP

Washington JULY 4. The United States President, George W. Bush, has said that he is not going to be hurried into a decision on Liberia and dismissed media reports that he has decided to dispatch American troops to that strife-torn African nation.

However, indications are that the President's top security advisors are not seeing the issue in the same lines. For instance, there are reports that the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, is against the idea of sending troops; but that the Secretary of State, Colin Powell, is actively consulting African Governments and the United Nations Secretary-General on the modalities of command and functioning of American troops. Gen. Powell has maintained that the President is exploring all options "... political options, diplomatic options and military options as well''.

Gen. Powell essentially argued, "We have provided the President no recommendation yet and therefore, he has not made a decision''. Mr. Bush stressed that he is still in the process of gathering all necessary information and criticised the media for trying to get ahead of the story. "I am in the process of gathering the information necessary to make a rationale decision as to how to... enforce the ceasefire in place'', Mr. Bush told African journalists ahead of his visit to that continent starting Monday. "You know, you read all kinds of things, of course, in American newspapers — it's sport here'', Mr. Bush remarked, making the point that he was waiting for a report from the Economic Community of West African States that was discussing Liberia in Accra, Ghana.

"Once the strategy is in place, I will let people know whether or not I'm airborne or not... I don't need to dramatise the decision. It's getting plenty of attention here at home'', the President said. The stepped-up activity in the media here that a decision on sending troops to Liberia was "imminent'' started with the "warning order'' sent to the American military commander in Europe with the Pentagon asking for an assessment on how the situation should be handled. This gave rise to the impression that a final decision on the matter could come on Thursday itself or by the time the President leaves for his African trip.

Mr. Bush is under pressure to send up to 2,000 troops to help enforce a ceasefire between the forces loyal to the Liberian President, Charles Taylor, and the rebels. What is also under consideration is to send a small group of Marines to protect the American mission in Monrovia. In fact, a group of about 50 to 75 Marines are already said to be in Spain for the purpose. The administration has made it very clear that Mr. Taylor has to leave the country; and this came from none other than the President himself. "One thing has to happen: Mr. Taylor needs to leave the country. In order for there to be peace and stability in Liberia, Charles Taylor needs to leave now'', Mr. Bush said.

The Liberian President has been quoted as saying that he would be willing to leave the country in about three months and demanded that war crime charges be dropped against him. A United Nations-backed court in Sierra Leone has indicted Mr. Taylor for crimes against humanity with atrocities that included hacking off the limbs of his victims.

There is pressure on the administration to do something to set right the deteriorating situation in Liberia, a country founded in 1847 by freed American slaves.

The Congressional Black Caucus has called on the State Department and the White House to intervene quickly.

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