Bush told reporters in Washington earlier Friday he had ordered the deployment of a US amphibious task force off the coast of Liberia, amid a worsening humanitarian situation, to help prepare for the arrival of African peacekeepers.

"The secretary general was very pleased to learn that today, President Bush has directed the (US) secretary of defense to position appropriate military capabilities off the coast of Liberia, in order to support the deployment of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) forces to that country," Annan's spokesman said in a statement.

"The secretary general believes that this is an important measure, which should accelerate the deployment of the ECOWAS forces and the subsequent multinational forces to stabilize the situation in Liberia," the UN said.

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

Annan is calling on UN members, who have the resources, to assist the United States in providing support to enable the speedy deployment of ECOWAS peacekeepers into Liberia.

The UN said the ongoing "indiscriminate shelling" in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, has created an "acute humanitarian crisis."

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