President Bush gave orders today for a naval amphibious force that includes 2,300 marines to sail from the Mediterranean and nearby waters to a position off the coast of Liberia, but left vague what its specific mission would be. The timing of the announcement caught Pentagon officials off guard, and sent them scrambling to explain that three ships carrying the marines could be off the Liberian coast within a week or so, in position to support 1,300 Nigerian peacekeepers who are committed to enforcing a cease-fire and delivering aid to victims of the civil war there. Mr. Bush, speaking to reporters at the White House, said he had ordered American forces a step closer toward intervening in the long-running war that has left hundreds dead in recent months because conditions in Liberia were deteriorating rapidly.
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