US Liberia Relations
US Liberia Relations
U.S. relations with Liberia date back to the 1820s when the first group of settlers arrived in Liberia from the United States. As early as 1819, Congress appropriated $100,000 for the establishment of Liberia (and resettlement of freemen and freed slaves from North America) by the American Colonization Society, led by prominent Americans such as Francis Scott Key, George Washington's nephew Bushrod, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Presidents Monroe, Adams, and Jackson. The United States, which officially recognized Liberia in 1862, shared particularly close relations with Liberia during the Cold War. The outbreak of civil war in Liberia and the long dominance of Charles Taylor soured bilateral relations. However, Liberia now counts the United States as its strongest supporter in its democratization and reconstruction efforts. Since the end of Liberia's civil war in 2003, the United States has contributed some $570 million toward Liberia's reconstruction and development and nearly $600 million to support the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). The U.S. plans to commit another $200 million in fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Donald E. Booth
Deputy Chief of Mission--Louis Mazel
Political Counselor--Silvia Eiriz
Economic Counselor--Alfreda Meyers
Public Affairs Officer--Meg Riggs
Consular Officer--John Marietti
USAID Director--Wilbur Thomas
Relationships between Liberia and the United States
U.S. relations with Liberia date back to 1819 when the US Congress appropriated $100,000 for the establishment of Liberia. The United States officially recognized Liberia in 1862 and the two nations shared very close diplomatic, economic, and military ties until the 1990s. During World War II, Liberia joined the Allied Forces and Monrovia was host to important Allied logistics bases. Liberia was also home to Firestone's rubber plantation, which was established shortly after World War I. This plantation was a large arms manufacturer for the Allied Forces during World War II.
Liberian and United States relationships became strained between 1971 and 1980 due to Liberian president William R. Tolbert's establishment of diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc countries. In 1978, United States president Jimmy Carter made the first official presidential visit to Liberia.[7] During the 1980s, the United States forged especially close ties with Liberia as part of a Cold War effort to suppress socialist and Marxist movements in Africa. Samuel Doe's government was seen by American strategists as being especially important to their Cold War policies in Africa and his government took actions to protect American interests in the region. Liberia received between $500 million and $1.3 billion dollars during the 1980s from the United States government through direct and indirect channels. Furthermore, Liberia was home to a relay station for Voice of America, a large navigation tower, and the CIA's main African base for the majority of this period.
The rise of Charles Taylor's government, the Liberian Civil War, regional instability and human rights abuses interrupted the previously close relations between Liberia and the United States. Although Charles Taylor's election in 1997 was monitored by the Economic Community of West African States and Jimmy Carter, the United States officially held that Taylor was illegitimately elected due to the violent circumstances leading up to his election. During Taylor's presidency, the United States cut direct financial and military aid to the Liberian government, withdrew Peace Corps operations, imposed a travel ban on senior Liberian Government officials, and frequently criticized Charles Taylor's government. Much of the Liberian-American tension from this period stems from the Liberian government's acknowledged support for the Revolutionary United Front, a rebel group in Sierra Leone and surrounding region. Due to intense pressure from the international community and the United States, Charles Taylor resigned his office on August 11, 2003.
The resignation and exile of Charles Taylor in 2003 brought changes in diplomatic ties between the United States and Liberia. On July 30, 2003, the United States proposed a UN Security Council draft resolution to authorize the deployment of a multi-national stabilization force.[12][10] Despite stated concerns about prosecution in the International Criminal Court, United States president George W. Bush sent 200 marines to Monrovia's airport to support the peace-keeping effort. The United States also deployed warships along Liberia's coast as part of the stabilization effort. The United States committed $1.16 billion to Liberia between the years of 2004 and 2006.
