Prometheus 6   

Blacks Counsel Caution on Liberia
By CHRISTOPHER MARQUIS

WASHINGTON — African-Americans have historically been skeptical of military intervention by their country in the affairs of others, at least when compared with other Americans. It is not surprising, then, that a New York Times survey being issued today, which asked whether the United States should try to change a dictatorship to democracy or stay out, found that 82 percent of African-American respondents wanted America to mind its own business, as opposed to 58 percent of all others.

Carroll Doherty, editor of the Pew Research Center, said there had been a consistent gap between whites and blacks in recent military undertakings.

The Iraq war has proved especially divisive, he said, with 72 percent of whites saying Washington was right to attack Iraq, compared with 41 percent of blacks, according to a June poll. But he noted that African-Americans were similarly skeptical during the first Persian Gulf War and the battle for Kosovo.

Even when it comes to Liberia there is disagreement within the black community over what the United States should do — despite the fact that the Congressional Black Caucus last week called on the Bush administration to act.

The president has so far balked at sending in troops, opting instead to offer cash and logistical assistance to West African peacekeeping forces, while positioning ships off the Liberian coast with 2,300 Marines on board.

A number of African-Americans support that stance — though not always for the same reasons as the administration. They include some with a radical, pro-Africa agenda, who are nonetheless urging the United States to keep out of Liberia, or limit its role to helping international peacekeepers.

"Our view is that the Liberian situation is part of a West African crisis and ultimately needs to be settled by West Africans," said Bill Fletcher, president of the TransAfrica Forum, an organization that fought apartheid in South Africa and fosters contacts between Africa and the United States.

A decade ago, when the Clinton administration agonized over whether to intervene in Haiti to restore its elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, TransAfrica's founder, Randall Robinson went on a hunger strike and black lawmakers raised a daily ruckus that compelled the administration to send in troops. But when it comes to Liberia, that unity is missing, Mr. Fletcher noted.

To be sure, some of the strongest advocates for American intervention are African-American. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has voiced remorse at the administration's reticence and the Rev. Jesse Jackson has chided Washington for keeping "a killing field on the back burner."

But some black Americans say they would support deploying troops only if they were assured of a peaceful reception.

"If you told us were going to fight a war, we'd oppose it," said one Congressional aide who is close to the Black Caucus.