Last updated U.S. Marines from 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit land in Liberia
Joint Task Force Liberia was a joint task force formed from August to October 2003 in response to the crisis that developed during the Second Liberian Civil War.[1] The ongoing civil war destabilized the area and created a large number of refugees as rebel forces closed in on Monrovia and took over Bushrod Island. As a result, the Freeport of Monrovia closed, causing food shortages.
As the crisis unfolded, U.S. Ambassador to Liberia John W. Blaney requested military assistance. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld approved deployment of U.S. forces on July 20, 2003[2] and soon afterwards, the United States armed forces established Joint Task Force Liberia.
Formation and deployment of the task force
U.S. Ambassador to Liberia John W. Blaney talking to the marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.World Food Programme unloads humanitarian aid at the Freeport of Monrovia during JTF Liberia.John W. Blaney and marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In July, Marines from a forward deployed Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) left Naval Station Rota, Spain for Liberia. The FAST platoon reinforced the embassy security and began non-combatant evacuation operations. After a month of the platoon of Marines being alone to defend the Embassy Compound, the 26th MEU, which had steamed at full speed for 2 weeks from the Horn of Africa finally arrived off shore.
President Charles Taylor left the country soon afterwards under pressure from the international community, and the stage was set for the arrival of first an ECOWAS interim peacekeeping force, ECOMIL, and then the UN peacekeeping force the United Nations Mission in Liberia.
Naval Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Operations: Stability from the Sea, chapter note 26, pp.167–168
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