Liberian rebels who have pushed to the outskirts of the capital, Monrovia, are threatening to launch a new offensive to take the city if President Charles Taylor does not step down within 72 hours. The rebel demand came Sunday as fighting with loyalist troops resumed on the city's edge. Witnesses said the insurgents tried to take the city's Saint Paul river bridge. Rebel leaders have urged their fighters to respect a cease-fire and stop their advance on humanitarian grounds. Chuck Mr. Taylor has remained defiant, saying the capital will not fall into rebel hands. He said government troops drove the rebels back during fierce fighting Saturday. The offensive is one of the largest the rebels have made on Monrovia since they began their campaign to oust Mr. Taylor four years ago. The latest fighting has jeopardized peace talks in Ghana, which are adjourned until Monday. The talks are aimed at securing a truce to make way for an interim government.
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