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U.S. Marines Return to Ships Off Liberia (Yeah!)
AP ^ | Sun, Aug 24, 2003 | EDWARD HARRIS

Posted on 08/24/2003 3:18:10 PM PDT by Pubbie

MONROVIA, Liberia - A 150-strong Marine force withdrew to warships off the Liberian capital's coast on Sunday, ending significant U.S. military deployment on the ground after just 11 days and disappointing many Liberians.

The Marines said American troops would be in better position on the warships to respond to any flare-ups in Liberia (news - web sites)'s week-old peace accord, meant to end 14 years of conflict that has claimed more than 150,000 lives.

Liberians, watching U.S. military helicopters whir out of sight in the unannounced departure, spoke fearfully of being deserted.

"They're forsaking us," said 22-year-old Emmanuel Slawon, watching the last U.S. helicopter sortie fly out of Liberia's main airport, dangling a Humvee in a giant sling.

"We wish they'd stay until peace would come," Slawon said. "Their presence here puts fear in our fighters — it makes them think if they carry on hostilities, they'll be handled by the Americans."

The U.S. warships remain off Liberia, appearing in and out of view off a coast lined with black rocks. The United States has not said when they will pull away.

"Why did they go away?" cried Hawa Adra, a 31-year-year-old refugee, watching in the rain with her 3-month-old daughter, Gift, on her back, as the Americans withdrew.

A West African peace force that arrived about three weeks ago has helped stop fighting in Monrovia. The government and two main rebel movements also signed a peace accord made possible by the Aug. 11 resignation and exile of former President Charles Taylor, now in Nigeria.

But clashes persist in the countryside — sending refugees fleeing this weekend several miles from the airport.

U.S. military helicopters flew over that area Sunday, on a patrol requested by West African forces to try to help determine the source of gunfire and artillery explosions on Friday.

Liberian Defense Minister Daniel Chea also claimed fighting persisted Sunday near the Guinea border. It was impossible to verify the allegation.

President Bush (news - web sites) put the rapid-reaction force on the ground Aug. 14, under pressure internationally to intervene to quell bloodletting in Liberia, a nation founded by freed American slaves with U.S. government backing in the 19th century.

CH-46 military helicopters carried the Marines back out of Liberia on Sunday, in driving rain.

"Let's hope they'll have peace in Liberia," said one Marine who didn't give his name, heading for the waiting CH-46, its rotors running.

About 100 U.S. troops remain on the ground — 70 guarding the U.S. Embassy, and 30 acting as liaisons with West African peacekeepers, Lt. Col. Tom Collins, spokesman for the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit force, told The Associated Press as he left.

The decision "reflects the situation on the ground here," Collins said. "We're here to support (the West Africans), but we can do it better from the ship," he added.

Some 1,500 Nigerian soldiers, the vanguard of a promised 3,250-member West African-led force, have arrived in Liberia, a nation of 3.2 million people.

The Marines had been charged with backing up West African forces if they came under attack. The team largely had stayed at its airport base, out of sight of most Liberians.

Other signs of U.S. military presence clearly had served to encourage Liberia's people, and serve as a deterrent to combatants.

The first visible evidence to Liberians that American military might was in range came Aug. 11, when three hulking U.S. ships in the battle group Iwo Jima appeared off Monrovia. The mist-blurred sight drew cheers from hundreds lining the beaches of the war-ruined capital.

That first U.S. show of force came hours after Taylor resigned, as demanded by the United States, fellow West African leaders and rebels laying two months of bloody sieges to his capital.

In following days, U.S. forces roaming front-lines and noisy helicopter and warplane forays over the city likewise made clear the world's superpower still was watching.

Bush had stressed repeatedly that the U.S. deployment in Liberia would be small and would end by Oct. 1.

"If they want to leave, they can leave," Col. Theophilus Tawiah of Ghana, chief of staff for the West African force, said Sunday, calling the American support helpful no matter where it comes from.

Asked whether the 11-day ground deployment seemed adequate in length, Tawiah laughed. "You'd have to talk to the Americans about that," he said.

A U.N. peace force is due within months, taking over from the West African mission. The U.N. Security Council has approved the U.N. mission but has not yet set the size.

Liberia's factions have broken all previous accords in 14 years of fighting, although prospects for the latest deal appear greatly improved by Taylor's removal.

West African forces in the 1990s had mixed success quelling fighting, then were repeatedly accused of siding with one faction or the other.

The U.S. military deployment had marked U.S. armed force's first significant humanitarian mission in Africa since Somalia in the early 1990s.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: africa; liberia; marines; semperfi; usmilitaryteam
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May we never again return to Liberia
1 posted on 08/24/2003 3:18:10 PM PDT by Pubbie
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To: Pubbie
and Iraq
and Vietnam
and Grenada
2 posted on 08/24/2003 3:21:53 PM PDT by cyborg (i'm half and half... me mum is a muggle and me dad is a witch)
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To: cyborg
"and Iraq"

No way should we leave Iraq - it's important to stay there so Iran, and to a lesser extent Syria, are surrounded by US Allies.
3 posted on 08/24/2003 3:24:54 PM PDT by Pubbie (Bill Owens for Prez and Jeb as VP in '08.)
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To: Pubbie
Thanks for the info. I really didn't like this mission. Too many similarities to Beirut & Somalia. Semper Fi
4 posted on 08/24/2003 3:27:27 PM PDT by kellynla (USMC SEMPER FI! VOTE4MCCLINTOCK...or pay the con$equence$! http://www.tommcclintock.com)
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To: Pubbie
Did they leave right before or right after the 1000 Liberians were killed today?
5 posted on 08/24/2003 3:28:13 PM PDT by aynrandfreak
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To: aynrandfreak
I have no idea...
6 posted on 08/24/2003 3:29:19 PM PDT by Pubbie (Bill Owens for Prez and Jeb as VP in '08.)
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To: Pubbie
FoxNews was reporting a few moments ago that 1,000 Liberians have been killed just today.

That is a bad situation. I hope the US proceeds with extreme caution. We don't need another Somalia disaster.
7 posted on 08/24/2003 3:29:35 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: cyborg
and Iraq

and Vietnam

and Grenada

Boy, you like your apples AND oranges don't you.

8 posted on 08/24/2003 3:29:39 PM PDT by EGPWS
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To: Pubbie
"They're forsaking us,

Did what we came to do.

Not staying for the shakedown. They will do that to us in Congress. Our presence is not needed for that.

The end of the cold war meant loss of leverage for these third and in this case, fourth world countries. Now they have only the U.N. and NGO's that will visit them.

Times change.

9 posted on 08/24/2003 3:31:32 PM PDT by Cold Heat (Nothing in my home is French!)
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To: Pubbie
14 years of conflict? We should stay out of it. Let Kofi Annan solve the problem,it's his continent.

We have enough on our plate right now and you can be sure if one US Marine injured one civilian the outcry would be heard all over the world even though they have been killing themselves for years.
10 posted on 08/24/2003 3:31:54 PM PDT by Mears (J)
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To: TomGuy
They're going to kill eachother no matter what we do - the important thing is that no US soldiers were killed during this (Mercifully) short excursion.
11 posted on 08/24/2003 3:32:08 PM PDT by Pubbie (Bill Owens for Prez and Jeb as VP in '08.)
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To: aynrandfreak
Did they leave right before or right after the 1000 Liberians were killed today?

Will their departure be blamed for the 1000 Liberian massacre?
Either way it doesn't look good.

12 posted on 08/24/2003 3:32:10 PM PDT by Jorge
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To: Mears; kellynla
I don't like ANY missions in Africa, because Africa actually is even WORSE than the middle east is!
13 posted on 08/24/2003 3:33:47 PM PDT by Pubbie (Bill Owens for Prez and Jeb as VP in '08.)
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To: cyborg
We're in Iraq for a good half-century to come. Get used to it.
14 posted on 08/24/2003 3:38:53 PM PDT by thoughtomator (Are we conservatives, or are we Republicans?)
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Thank Heavens. Now let the french & germans take care of iraq.
15 posted on 08/24/2003 3:41:14 PM PDT by meema
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To: Pubbie
".... "Their presence here puts fear in our fighters — it makes them think if they carry on hostilities, they'll be handled by the Americans.""

How about they get "handled" by the other Liberians?

16 posted on 08/24/2003 3:44:07 PM PDT by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
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To: TomGuy
Tell the UN to get their butt in gear. There is no excuse fro their delay.
17 posted on 08/24/2003 3:44:35 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: Pubbie
We need to send some pretty noisy flights over Liberia from time to time. Just to let the locals know that we're still out there, and watching.
18 posted on 08/24/2003 3:45:42 PM PDT by McGavin999
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To: TomGuy
Looks like the news of the fighting in the country came after the withdrawl. It was in some village, not in Monrovia. It has not been confirmed either, according to Roto Rooter.
19 posted on 08/24/2003 3:45:58 PM PDT by Cold Heat (Nothing in my home is French!)
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To: Sacajaweau
Tell the UN to get their butt in gear

LOL! That is kinda funny in a sarcastic sort of way.

20 posted on 08/24/2003 3:47:35 PM PDT by Cold Heat (Nothing in my home is French!)
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