The US amphibious ship Kearsarge has been ordered to Liberia for possible use in evacuating American citizens. The ship was on its way home from action in Iraq and has 1800 combat ready (and now combat experienced) Marines on board, as well as a crew of 1200 sailors. The Wasp class, 40,000 ton LHD carries four helicopter gunships and two dozen CH-53 and CH-46 transport helicopters, as well as six AV-8 jets, landing craft and over a hundred trucks.

There are over a million Liberians around the capital who have fled their homes and the fighting between rebels and government troops. Looters are all over the place, as are armed gangs looking for anything to steal. 

Government and rebel negotiators in Ghana say they are near an agreement on a ceasefire, after several days of negotiating. The LURD and MODEL rebel groups now control 12 of Liberias 15 counties.  The rebels are demanding that the current government, led by Charles Taylor, step down. But Taylor was recently indicted for war crimes (during the civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone) and has said he would not give up as long as the indictment stood.