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US Marines finally arrive in Liberia

Helicopters swooped in with the first seven US Marines on the ground to support a steadily building West African peace force in this rebel-besieged capital, as Liberia's warlord president bowed to mounting international pressure and prepared to announce a successor.

The Marines, in camouflage and armed with automatic weapons, flew in Wednesday from a three-ship Navy group carrying 2,000 Marines and 2,500 sailors off Liberia to coordinate US logistical support for the West African soldiers at the airport 50km outside the capital.

Ghanaian Chief of Staff Colonel Theophilus Tawiah said the regional force -- now nearly 500 strong and with five armored vehicles -- would have sufficient strength yesterday to start patrolling Monrovia on the government side.

But peacekeepers would not immediately deploy in the rebel-held port area.

US President George W. Bush said no larger American force will go ashore until Liberian President Charles Taylor leaves the country.

"We would like Taylor out," Bush declared during his vacation in Crawford, Texas.

Taylor was to address a joint session of Congress yesterday to officially declare his intention to resign and announce a successor. He has said the choice is between Vice President Moses Blah and House Speaker Nyundueh Monkomana -- Nos. 2 and 3 in the line of succession.

However, Taylor has repeatedly hedged on when he would take up an offer of asylum in Nigeria -- setting new conditions for his departure in recent days.

His government has said he would leave only after enough foreign peacekeepers are on the ground -- and if a war crimes indictment is dropped.
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