ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, July 4 (UPI) -- President Bush said Friday he is encouraged that Liberian President Charles Taylor will step down.
Speaking to a joint news conference from aboard Air Force One, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the administration hopes Taylor will "back up his encouraging words with deeds so the stability of the region can be achieved, so that peace can become effective and so that the lives of the Liberian people in the region can be improved."
Fleisher said there still is no decision by the president about commitment of troops, but a team of intelligence staff would be dispatched.
"The president has authorized the departure of an assessment team to the region to work with nations in the area, to work with the U.N. on what is needed to establish stability," Fleischer said.
Taylor said Friday he would step down and seek asylum in Nigeria when peacekeeping forces arrived in Liberia.
