A US military team has arrived in the Liberian capital of Morovia as President Charles Taylor prepares for exile.
The 20-member team is seen as a possible precursor to a larger force, which the United States is considering sending in an effort to create stability in a country riven by nearly 14 years of violence.
"We are here to see what we will need to bring with us to provide humanitarian assistance," said the commander, Cpt Roger Coldiron. "I am not here to assess the military situation, but I am here to assess the security situation."
President Bush, who arrives in Africa today, has not yet decided whether to send peacekeepers to the country founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century.
Hemmed in by rebels and wanted for war crimes by an international court, Taylor said yesterday he had accepted an offer of asylum from Nigeria and wanted to ensure an international force was in place before leaving.
West African countries have pledged 3,000 troops and want US forces to bring the figure up to 5,000, but Washington is wary after a humiliating withdrawal from Somalia 10 years ago after a humanitarian intervention ended with US military deaths.
The team that flew in from Europe on today will visit camps for tens of thousands of refugees from Liberia's war. It includes experts in water purification, preventive medicine, construction and logistics.
Any bigger operation would be certain to raise questions given heavy commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has said the US Congress should vote before any American troops were sent to Liberia.
Pressure for Mr Taylor to step down has grown since rebel attacks on Monrovia left 700 dead last month. He is accused of masterminding wars across West Africa, holds barely a third of Liberia and is wanted by Sierra Leone's war crimes court.