Thousands of Liberian refugees flee to BFS plantation

HARBEL, Liberia (Aug. 13)—Liberian refugees numbering in the thousands are pouring onto Bridgestone/Firestone´s natural rubber plantation near Harbel to escape the fighting in the capital of Monrovia, about 35 miles away, according to a BFS spokesman. The plantation continues to produce both latex and block rubber, the spokesman said, but still can´t ship because the port of Monrovia is closed. New fighting between government troops and rebel forces broke out Aug. 12, the day after President Charles Taylor officially resigned and went into exile in Nigeria. Some 2,300 U.S. troops wait off the Liberian coast in warships, and the Pentagon was debating Aug. 13 whether to send 200 troops ashore to aid in peacekeeping efforts.