As the United States considers whether to send peacekeepers to Liberia, rebels surrounding the capital threatened Friday to fight any international troops deployed before Liberian President Charles Taylor steps down. LIBERIA’S MAIN rebel group has said it would welcome peacekeepers and wants U.S. troops to participate, but it said Friday that if the force comes with Taylor still in place, that will only strengthen his ability to hang on to power. “Any troop deployed before the departure of Taylor must be prepared for a firefight,” the rebels said in a statement. Taylor, who is wanted by a U.N.-backed tribunal for war crimes in neighboring Sierra Leone, has repeatedly promised to resign – but only after an international stabilization force arrives to ensure an orderly transition. Full Story