Bush stressed the US task force, consisting of three ships en route from the Mediterranean, will play a supportive role for the deployment of African peacekeepers.

"Today, I did order for our military, in limited numbers, to head into the area to help prepare for ECOWAS' (the Economic Community of West African States) arrival to relieve human suffering," Bush said during a White House press conference.

One ship in the task force, the Iwo Jima, is carrying 4,500 sailors and marines.

"US troops will be there to help ECOWAS go in and serve as peacekeepers necessary to create the conditions so that humanitarian aid can go in and help the people in Liberia," Bush said.

"We're deeply concerned that the condition of the Liberian people is getting worse and worse. Aid can't get to the people. We're worried about the outbreak of disease," the president said.

ECOWAS is expected to decide Monday on sending a west African peacekeeping contingent to the west African country, where hundreds of civilians have died in murderous clashes between rebel and government forces.

Bush said the Pentagon would soon be making its actions clear, and he reiterated his calls for Liberian president Charles Taylor to leave the country.

"It is very important for Charles Taylor to leave the country," Bush said.

Taylor was indicted in June by the United Nations Special Court in Sierra Leone for crimes against humanity and war crimes during the decade-long civil war in Liberia's northwestern neighbour, in which some 250,000 people lost their lives.

Taylor is also under UN sanctions, including an arms embargo, for his perceived role in that war and alleged links to the trade in so-called "blood diamonds" mined by the Sierra Leonean rebels.

The former warlord faces a rebel advance in his own country's devastating four-year war, with the rebels now controlling four-fifths of the country.

Bush said it will be critical for any ECOWAS force to quickly establish a ceasefire between the warring factions, as this will establish better conditions for aid to be delivered to the Liberian people.

The US role will be limited in time and scope, and will only remain in place until relieved by United Nations peacekeepers.

"We're working very closely with the United Nations. They will be responsible for developing a political situation. And they will be responsible for relieving the US troops in short order," Bush added.

The Pentagon estimates it will take between seven and ten days for the US amphibious task force to arrive off Liberia's coast.

At the State Department, spokesman Richard Boucher repeated much of what Bush said but added more details about an initial 10-million-dollar contribution that the United States pledged on Thursday to help ECOWAS in its peacekeeping effort.

The money, he said, had been awarded to a private firm, Pacific Architects and Engineers, which will provide logistics and other support to the ECOWAS mission and has done similar work for Washington in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.

"They will on our behalf support the deployment of the West Africans," Boucher told reporters. "It will include a full range of logistic support to include transportation, equipment and communications."

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