Marine task force moves closer to Liberia (2,200 troops)

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON (CNN)

A three-ship U.S. naval task force carrying some 2,200 Marines has been ordered to sail from the east coast of Africa to the Mediterranean Sea, in case President Bush orders troops into Liberia.

Pentagon officials stressed the movement is a "precautionary measure" aimed at moving the Marines into a position where they could be more quickly dispatched to the war-torn African country in the event the United States decides to support a West African peacekeeping initiative there.

The task force consists of the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, the amphibious transport dock ship USS Nashville, and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall.

The ships carry about 1,900 sailors and about 2,200 Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

The Marine Expeditionary Unit includes about three-dozen helicopters and six Harrier jets.

The Iwo Jima is on its maiden voyage as the Navy's newest helicopter and troop carrier. It departed from Norfolk, Virginia, on March 5, 2003. ---

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