US marines land in Liberia as rebels pull back

US Marines, helicopters and screaming jets backed up West African peacekeepers as they pushed into rebel-held areas of Liberia's battle-worn capital Monrovia to a riotous heroes' welcome.

Thousands of people surged out, cheering, dancing and punching the air, as Nigerian troops of the Ecomil force crossed key bridges to take up positions from ragtag fighters pulling out now pariah leader Charles Taylor has flown into exile.

Bursts of gunfire - joyful blasts from the rebels - rang out when the peacekeepers moved into the port, vital for getting aid to hundreds of thousands of refugees from recent fighting that left at least 2000 dead.

"As long as Ecomil is here the war is over," said Laurence Saywula, 28, trapped for weeks behind rebel lines.

President Moses Blah arrived in Ghana for a meeting with leaders of rebel factions to try to bring an end to nearly 14 years of strife that have spread turmoil through West Africa and cost at least a quarter of a million lives.

Rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) have pledged to pull out of Monrovia as the West African forces move in. They officially handed over the port at a brief ceremony on a bridge that marked the front.

"We have no reason to doubt the credibility of the Americans, and we have no reason to doubt the credibility of the peacekeepers, so we will leave as we have said," said rebel official Sekou Fofana. "I'm leaving right now."

The US Marines who flew into Monrovia's airport are part of a 2300-strong task force floating offshore to back up the peacekeepers.

"US, America," chanted joyous crowds who mobbed a small Marine reconnaissance team accompanying the Nigerians. They went wild with delight when a fighter jet screeched overhead.

The Pentagon has said that about 200 Marines will be deployed over the next few days. Some Marines dashed to airport buildings, others took up positions in the grass.

"The citizens around are all so happy to see the Marines because they had to leave their homes for fear of a rebel attack," said airport worker George Marshall.

One of the Marines said simply "I'm hot".

Liberians would dearly love to have a big American force on the ground. But Washington, with heavy commitments elsewhere and mindful of the bloody debacle its forces suffered in Somalia a decade ago, is reluctant to get sucked into another potential African mire.

Fresh fighting south of Monrovia has already shown that getting rid of Taylor, indicted by a UN-backed court for his role in a savage conflict in Sierra Leone, would not be a guarantee of peace. Taylor is in exile in Nigeria.

US Ambassador John Blaney said that the rebel faction known as Model south of the capital had now agreed not to advance any further after capturing an important bridge.

"Now they have achieved their number one objective of removing Charles Taylor," Blaney said.

Blah, Taylor's former deputy, has already offered the rebels the post of vice-president as an olive branch and was expected to hold direct talks with rebel leaders in Ghana on Thursday. West African officials hope for a peace accord at the weekend.

The rebels are wary of Blah who is an old Taylor ally from years of bush war before the ex-president won elections in 1997. They have said that up to October is too long for him to remain in power.

"They have a right to their claims and the government has a right to its claims," said Foreign Minister Lewis Brown.