Angry crowds laid out bloody, broken bodies of shelling victims before the US Embassy yesterday, accusing the United States of failing to protect Monrovia's people from fighting overrunning the capital of Liberia.

　　Liberia's health minister, Peter Coleman, said between 200-300 civilians were killed and 1,000 wounded so far in rebels' 3-day-old push to take the capital and topple Liberian President Charles Taylor.

　　Bitter families placed seven of the dead - four children, two women and a man - in front of the heavily guarded US Embassy, beneath armed Marines standing sentinel on the roof behind sandbag bunkers.

　　Large crowds built and were pushing, shoving and screaming at Marines to intervene to stop the war.

　　The mobs chased journalists from the scene.

　　Officials inside the embassy could not immediately be reached for comment.

　　Liberia, Africa's oldest republic, was founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century, and Liberians still see themselves asshavingsa unique bond with Americans.

　　On Wednesday, British UN Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock pointed to the United States as the "natural candidate" to intervene and enforce a cease-fire.

　　Greenstock is leading a nine-day UN Security Council mission to West Africa, opening yesterday with diplomats flying to Guinea-Bissau. Liberia's crisis is expected to be a focus of the mission.

　　After shelling and rockets on Tuesday and Wednesday, Monrovia's residents awoke to a calmer city yesterday.

　　Liberia's Defense Minister Daniel Chea claimed government forces had pushed rebels back to the northwest edge of the city, and said fighting was ongoing there.