MONROVIA, Liberia, July 6 (UPI) -- Liberian President Charles Taylor accepted an offer of asylum from Nigeria's president, but gave no indication of when he would leave.
The offer from Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo comes amidst growing international pressure for peacekeeper intervention. President Bush called for Taylor to step down last week. Taylor's acceptance Sunday could in U.S. forces joining in the peacekeeping mix of nations.
Thousands of lives have been lost and almost 300,000 have become refugees as a result of a 3-year rebel effort against Taylor's corrupt rule. Hundreds of thousands have now crowded into Monrovia with the rebels shooting distance on the outskirts of the besieged city.
In a BBC report from Monrovia, various West African leaders were said to believe that allowing Mr. Taylor to go into exile was the best way of avoiding a devastating battle for the city.
