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President Bush expressed a willingness on Monday to send a limited number of US troops to prop up a cease-fire in turbulent Liberia, which visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called an "absolutely worthwhile effort."

President Bush, right, looks over towards United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan as they answer reporters' questions in the Oval Office of the White House Monday, July 14, 2003 in Washington. [Reuter]

"Any commitment we have would be limited in size and limited in tenure," Bush said after meeting Annan and other top UN officials in Washington.

Bush said he had not made a decision because US military experts sent to the region have not made a final report on the strength of a West African force, organized by the Economic Community of West African States or ECOWAS, that would serve as the backbone of a Liberian peacekeeping force.

Bush, just back from a trip to Africa, said he told Annan that "we want to help" bring peace to Liberia and that for US troops to participate, Liberian President Charles Taylor must leave.

"What I am telling you is we want to help ECOWAS. It may require troops. But we don't know how many yet. And therefore it's hard for me to make a determination until I've seen all the facts," Bush told reporters.

The secretary-general held a day of talks with US officials and congressional leaders at a time when Bush was set to receive reports on how ready ECOWAS troops were to deploy and what the role of the United States should be.

Asked when he would have the needed information from US military experts, Bush said: "as soon as possible."

Annan, who wants the United States to contribute troops, said: "We have more or less agreed to a general approach on the Liberian issue, and I'm very pleased with that," adding: "So the effort that is going on is absolutely worthwhile."

ANNAN GIVES SCENARIO The UN secretary-general outlined a scenario for a Liberia operation with ECOWAS sending in 1,000 to 1,500 troops. Then, he said, Taylor would leave while more troops would arrive -- American and West Africans

Eventually, the United Nations would send in peacekeeping troops to help stabilize the country, Annan said.

"And once the situation is calm and stabilized the US would leave and the UN peacekeepers will carry on the operation," he told reporters.

Some UN officials thought this would take about six months but US sources said they doubted Bush would allow US troops to stay in Liberia that long.

Nigeria, the backbone of ECOWAS, wants 3,500 US troops but the sources said this was too high.

Bush has been insisting Liberian President Charles Taylor accept an offer of exile in Nigeria, thereby paving the way to end a civil war, which has devastated neighboring Sierra Leone and spilled over to Guinea and the Ivory Coast.

In Annan's delegation was Jacques Paul Klein, the American appointed as the new UN envoy to Liberia. Quoting humanitarian Albert Schweitzer, Klein said "whether we will or will not do good for the Africa people, we owe it to them."

In addition to Liberia, the agenda for Annan's talks in the White House, in meetings with Secretary of State Colin Powell and in Congress included the Congo conflict, Middle East peace prospects, post-war Iraq and Afghanistan and AIDS.

Bush has promised to make sure Congress finances his $15 billion program to combat AIDS in the world's poorest countries, although the administration's proposals in Congress so far were considerably less.

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