"Make no mistake, my Marines will not idly stand by as thugs and rebels kill and maim innocent civilians," said Brigadier General Ronald Coleman at a ceremony at which he took command of the 2,700 troops.

"Our mission is clear, we are here to bring about stability, to calm your fears and to facilitate the arrival of a UN peacekeeping force," he said. "We have no hidden agenda. This is not an occupation force."

The ceremony was attended foreign ambassadors, President Boniface Alexandre and Prime Minister Gerard Latortue.

Coleman later told journalists that the US-led troops, who currently conduct comparatively small "presence patrols" in the violence-torn capital, will become more visible.

"In the near future you will see more forces of the multinational force out and about," he said.

"It is our mission to help stabilize the country ... we will do whatever is needed to do that," he said.

But he stressed that the troops would only fire if there is a threat.

"We won't fire first unless there is a good reason for us to fire first," the general said.

Military officials say some of the US, French, Chilean and Canadian troops will deploy to other parts of the country within the next three weeks.

Both Alexandre and Latortue thanked the troops during the outdoor ceremony at a university compound used as headquarters of the multinational force.

"Haiti will be forever grateful for the help you are giving us in this difficult transition," Alexandre said.

For his part, Latortue said, "I hope it is the last time we need to ask the international community to return to Haiti," recalling that US-led forces had intervened in 1994 to return ousted president Jean Betrand Aristide to power following a coup.

On Sunday the multinational force suffered its first casualty in Haiti, when a US Marine was shot and wounded in the arm.

"That shooting will only increase our resolve to do what needs to be done," said Coleman.

The incident occurred about 800 meters from the presidential palace in a slum known as a bastion of hardcore supporters of ex-president Jean Bertrand Aristide.

The Marine was flown to Miami for treatment. But before he was evacuated, he told his comrades-in-arms: "Hold on to my rifle, I'll be back," according to Lieutenant Colonel David Lapan said the spokesman for the multinational force.

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