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Bush in Liberia to show support for African ally
By Tabassum Zakaria and Deborah Charles
MONROVIA (Reuters) - President George W. Bush arrived on Thursday in Liberia, the United States' staunchest ally in Africa, where he will pledge support for the country's efforts to rebuild after a crippling civil war.
Air Force One, carrying Bush and his wife Laura, landed at Monrovia's international airport on the fifth and last stop of a tour by the U.S. leader of the world's poorest continent.
It was the first visit in 30 years by a U.S. president to Liberia, Africa's first republic founded by freed slaves from America in 1847.
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During his one-day visit to the small English-speaking West African state, Bush will hold talks with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who took office in 2006 as Africa's first elected female leader.
He was due to speak at a U.S.-funded military training facility where U.S. defense contractors have been training the new Liberian army following the end of a devastating 1989-2003 civil war which killed 200,000 people.
Since 2003, Washington has spent $139 million to help modernize Liberia's armed forces.
Bush is also due to announce a donation of 1 million textbooks and desks for 10,000 Liberian school children.
Liberia is the final stop of a five-nation tour of Africa by the U.S. leader, who in the last year of his presidency is seeking to highlight foreign policy success stories backing health, education and good governance projects on the continent.
During visits this week to Benin, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ghana, Bush has promoted his multi-billion-dollar anti-malaria and anti-AIDS projects in Africa and backed efforts to solve crises in Kenya and Darfur.
With its strong links to America, Liberia has long regarded the United States as its "big brother." During the Cold War, it served as the CIA's main listening post in Africa.
While other African countries have spurned U.S. overtures for a greater military presence on the continent, Liberia has said it would willingly host a new continental U.S. military command, known as Africom.
Speaking in Ghana on Wednesday, Bush tried to assuage fears of a military build-up, saying that his government did not plan to build any new military bases, but could still put "some kind of office" representing Africom on the continent.
Some Liberians complain that Washington ignored the West African country during the 1989-2003 civil war. Some said Bush's arrival was prompted by concern at China's growing commercial presence on the continent.
Relations between China and Liberia have flourished since Monrovia severed ties with Taiwan in 2003. Bush's trip follows a visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao just over a year ago.
(Additional reporting by Alphonso Toweh in Monrovia; Writing by Pascal Fletcher)
