07/22/2003

[On RI Letterhead]

July 22, 2003

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC

By Facsimile

Dear Mr. President:

As a Liberian refugee with  political asylum in the U.S., it breaks my heart to watch my people die and to listen to relatives cry on the phone that they have nowhere to hide. Despite your recent declaration to bring peace to Liberia, the U.S. seems reluctant to help  end the carnage and save the lives of innocent Liberians. How many more Liberians must die in order to convince the U.S. and West African states that it is time to act?

Mr. President, you have repeatedly said  that the civilized world cannot sit idle while dictators and rebel groups brutalize innocent people. The current chaos, destruction and death in my native Liberia warrant the immediate deployment of peacekeepers from West Africa and the U.S.  The inaction by your government to help the people of Liberia find a path to peace seems to contravene the pledge made prior to your Africa trip.

The mounting pile of corpses in front of the U.S. Embassy is a grim testament to the need for U.S. action. A country of 3.3 million people could become another killing field, if you fail to act swiftly and promptly. I believe that leadership from you, a man of faith and strong convictions, can make an enormous difference in ending the 13-year-old war in my country, saving many lives and starting a transition to democracy.

Beyond an obligation to help end the humanitarian crisis, the U.S. has compelling strategic reasons to end the war in Liberia.  The country is geographically positioned in  oil-rich West Africa, a region that is becoming a major supplier to the U.S., thus reducing  dependence on oil imports from the Middle East.  Indeed, Liberia has destabilized its neighboring countries, and sooner or later – without a  U.S. assisted intervention – the entire region could become a cluster of failed and volatile states, potential breeding grounds for another generation of terrorists.  Already, Al Qaeda has used West African diamonds to help finance its operations.

Mr. President, people are dying in Liberia.  There is no time for delay.  It is time for the U.S. to take the lead in helping to bring peace to West Africa.


                            Sincerely,



                            George Kun
                            McCall-Pierpaoli Fellow


Cc:

    Secretary of State Colin Powell
    Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
    National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice