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Taylor: His departure will be 'sooner than later'Taylor reaffirms pledge to step down Monday
MONROVIA, Liberia (CNN) -- Liberian President Charles Taylor early Friday reaffirmed his plans to step down Monday and leave the country soon afterward. He also told CNN he hopes the United States sends in more Marines to help stabilize the war-torn country. Taylor refused to say on what day he would leave Liberia for Nigeria, which has offered him political asylum. "I can assure you that I will be here not one minute longer than necessary. My movement is a matter of security, but it will happen sooner than later," he told CNN. Taylor, who has been indicted on war crimes charges for his support of a guerrilla war in neighboring Sierra Leone, said he did not cut any deals with Nigeria. But he challenged the legitimacy of the Sierra Leone indictment and said it "would be normal for these indictments to dropped." (Full story) "I will go to Nigeria, God willing, and while I'm there, I expect this issue will be dealt with," he said. Taylor said he has had no contact with the Bush administration, but he urged the United States to do more for Liberia, which was settled by freed American slaves. "I hope President Bush and the Bush administration will seize this moment in time and in history to do something constructive for the Liberian people and the Liberian nation. We Liberians feel they owe it to us, they ought to do something for us." Does he expect the United States to send in a much larger force of Marines? "I would hope so," he said. He added, "We welcome them in Liberia ... I do not think whatsoever that a United States soldier will have any problems in Liberia." Taylor's comments came hours after tens of thousands of jubilant residents Thursday enjoyed the long-awaited arrival of peacekeepers. About 400 West African peacekeepers in a convoy of armored personnel carriers and trucks weaved its way through the streets of the battle-scarred city as the crowd surged. The residents lined the streets, chanting, dancing and waving their arms in the air. Some reached up to touch the hands of the peacekeepers as they drove by, while others gave them the "thumbs-up" sign of approval. "No more war, we want peace," the crowd chanted. The convoy of peacekeepers from ECOWAS -- the Economic Community of West African States -- had driven in from the international airport about 40 miles (70 kilometers) outside Monrovia. Taylor had earlier Thursday canceled plans to announce his resignation and name a successor before Liberia's parliament. He told CNN's Jeff Koinange that an "agreement in writing" had been reached with leaders of the National Assembly for Vice President Moses Blah to succeed him. (Full story) "Will Taylor step down on Monday?" he asked Koinange, referring to himself in third person. "Yes." Asked when he would leave the country, Taylor said, "Soon." Asked if that meant a week, Taylor responded, "A week is too long." He also welcomed the peacekeepers, calling them "African brothers." However, he was critical of the way a small contingent of U.S. Marines -- seven in all -- arrived in the nation Wednesday, when they swooped in aboard Black Hawk helicopters on a liaison mission to find out how the United States can assist peacekeepers. "Normally, they would have sent us a note that there are Black Hawk helicopters landing at the embassy. That's what you do if you respect international law. But we have no choice. We still accept American presence here, but people have to learn to do it properly," he said. An intermittent 14-year civil war in Liberia has wracked the country, with thousands of civilians killed in the crossfire. It also has left a staggering number of homeless and refugees -- estimated to be about 450,000 in the war-wracked capital Monrovia alone. The United Nations Wednesday launched a $69 million drive to get humanitarian aid to Liberia and for the nations of the world to contribute. Liberia became an independent state in 1847, an outgrowth of a colony begun in 1822 as a place to resettle freed American slaves. CNN Lagos Bureau Chief Jeff Koinange in Monrovia contributed to this report.
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