Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, this week denied knowledge of threats by a Sierra Leonean rebel commander to kill fellow citizens if the group’s leader was not released from jail during the country’s brutal civil conflict. Prosecutors dismissed his denial as impossible: Mr. Taylor had to have known about the threats, not only because he was anointed the point-person for peace by fellow African leaders, but because Mr. Taylor was also helping to plan the rebel attacks, prosecutors alleged. Mr. Taylor also denied prosecution allegations that he sent rebel fighters to destabilize neighbouring Ivory Coast, arguing that his involvement in the country was purely for peaceful purposes.
On Monday, in response to prosecution allegations that he had knowledge of planned criminal actions of Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone while he occupied the position of “point-person” for Sierra Leone’s peace talks, Mr. Taylor told the judges that he had no knowledge of public threats made by RUF commander Sam Bockarie that he would kill all Sierra Leoneans if RUF leader Foday Sankoh was not released from jail.
In a day full of heated exchanges between Mr. Taylor and prosecutors, Mr. Taylor’s denial emerged as prosecutors questioned him about his stated role as a peacemaker during the Sierra Leonean war – a role which has formed a central tenet of the former president’s defense during his trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
Mr. Taylor has long maintained that when he became Liberian president in 1997, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) made him the “point-person” for peace in Sierra Leone, and that his actions towards his neighboring state were rooted in that role. After telling the court on Monday that in his capacity as “point-person” for peace in Sierra Leone he was regularly briefed by his National Security Adviser on issues relating to Sierra Leone, Mr. Taylor was questioned by lead prosecutor, Brenda Hollis, about news reports regarding Mr. Bockarie’s threats.
“I was not aware of such statements,” Mr. Taylor told the court on Monday.
When asked whether Mr. Bockarie made such statements with his consent or whether it was possible for him to have known of such pronouncements in his capacity as “point-person” for Sierra Leone, Mr. Taylor responded that if he had known of such pronouncements he “would have told Bockarie that such statement was unacceptable.”
Mr. Taylor also said that he was not aware of Mr. Bockarie’s December 1998 threat to attack Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown by the new year if RUF leader Mr. Sankoh was not released.
“I was not aware of that,” Mr. Taylor said.
The threat to attack Freetown was eventually put into effect when in January 1999, rebel forces attacked the country’s capital, an attack that was characterized by the commission of widespread atrocities such us murder, rape, burning of houses and the amputations of the arms and limbs of civilians. Prosecutors have accused Mr. Taylor of being involved in planning the 1999 attack on Freetown. Mr. Taylor has denied the allegations.
Disputing Mr. Taylor’s assertion that he was not aware of plans to attack Freetown in 1999, Ms. Hollis told Mr. Taylor that “it is not true because you took part in planning this operation.”
“Total nonsense,” Mr. Taylor responded.
Ms. Hollis argued that if Mr. Taylor served as “point-person” for peace in Sierra Leone, he obviously would have been briefed on all news reports relating to the actions of the rebel forces in Sierra Leone. Mr. Taylor maintained that he was neither aware of any pronouncements by Mr. Bockarie to destabilize Sierra Leone, nor about rebel plans to attack Freetown in 1999.
Prosecutors have argued throughout the trial that while Mr. Taylor was never present in Sierra Leone when RUF rebels committed atrocities in the country, he was still aware of their actions and gave them his support to commit such atrocities. Prosecutors have argued that Mr. Taylor occupied a superior position to the RUF rebel leaders and that all actions taken by the rebels were done with his acquiescence. In his position of authority over the rebels, prosecutors say, Mr. Taylor knew or had reason to know that rebel forces were committing atrocities in Sierra Leone but failed to prevent the commission of those crimes nor punished the rebels when he knew that such crimes had been committed. It is in this vein that prosecutors on Monday read news reports relating to RUF atrocities in Sierra Leone, which, they say Mr. Taylor was aware of. Mr. Taylor has denied these allegations, insisting that his role in Sierra Leone was purely for peaceful purposes in the West African country.
Also on Monday, prosecutors read a statement by a former Nigerian Force Commander of West African peacekeeprs General Victor Malu who reportedly said that Mr. Taylor opposed West African peacekeepers’ use of Liberia as a base for their operations in Sierra Leone. According to General Malu, Mr. Taylor wanted to surround himself with proteges in neighbouring countries “who will do his bidding.” Mr. Taylor dismissed the comments as “totally untrue.”
On Tuesday, prosecutors sought to establish that the international community pulled away from Liberia under Mr. Taylor’s presidency. The international community’s withdrawal, prosecutors said, was not because of an international conspiracy to scapegoat Mr. Taylor (as Mr. Taylor has argued as part of his defense case), but because the country did not enjoy good governance, with widespread reports of human rights abuse, corruption and political interference with the country’s judiciary. Questioning Mr. Taylor about his alleged judicial interference, Ms. Hollis read a report of a conference at which lawyers and other judicial officials made statements that the “Liberian judiciary is rotten.” Ms. Hollis quoted two Liberian lawyers who both alleged that there was a “strong influence of the government on the judiciary.” She further read portions of the statement made at the conference by the then Chief Justice of Liberia that there was government interference in the judiciary and that the government’s financial support to the judiciary was very low.
Mr. Taylor dismissed the allegations as “totally incorrect.”
Referring to the report on the conference as read by Ms. Hollis in court on Tuesday, Mr. Taylor said that “your conclusion of this entire document is ludicrous.”
“The judiciary was rotten, I agree with the contents, but I met it this way and I’m trying to fix it. This is a conference where Liberians are trying to solve historical problems,” Mr. Taylor said.
In seeking to demonstrate the dire human rights situation in Liberia under Mr. Taylor’s presidency, Ms. Hollis also read portions of a letter written to Mr. Taylor by former United States president Jimmy Carter on November 6, 2000, explaining why his human rights organization, The Carter Center for Human Rights, was withdrawing from Liberia.
“Because of prevailing conditions and the actions of your government, you have made it difficult for the Carter Center and others to operate within democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Reports of serious human rights abuses are common, journalists and civil society members are suppressed. Liberia’s role in the conflicts in the sub-region has become a destructive one,” President Carter was quoted as writing in his November 2000 letter on Tuesday.
Mr. Taylor agreed that President Carter made it clear to him why the organization was pulling out of Liberia, but said that the two men continued to discuss the situation in Liberia even after the group withdrew.
On Wednesday, the accused former Liberian president denied allegations that he sent fighters to destabilize neighboring Ivory Coast.
Mr. Taylor was responding to prosecution allegations that he had an agenda to destabilize the West African sub-region by not only supporting RUF rebels in Sierra Leone, but that he also gave similar support to other rebel forces in the Ivory Coast. Ms. Hollis read several reports in court which alleged that Mr. Taylor did send fighters to Ivory Coast in support of rebel groups in that country. Mr. Taylor dismissed all the reports as “totally incorrect.”
Reading from a May 2005 Frontline World news interview with Mr. Taylor’s former defense minister Daniel Chea, Ms. Hollis quoted Mr. Chea as saying that “On the Ivorian issue, when I realised that militia forces from Liberia were involved, I talked to him [Mr. Taylor] one day… and I said ‘Look, before going into an area, you must have an objective, either military or political, and in this case, we have none. We have our own issues, we are under attack by LURD [Liberians United for Reconciliation and Development] forces.’ And he said to me, ‘Well, Dan, sometimes there are things that you do not understand. There are too many things happening in this region, and sometimes you can be consumed, and you can be assured that whatever it is will get under control.’”
Mr. Taylor dismissed the news report as “untrue.”
“That is not right. This is an interview. No one knows who conducted the interview, no one knows this paper. My minister of defense, knowing that I was fighting a war, could not have said this to me,” Mr. Taylor said.
Ms. Hollis also read a portion of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) report in which it is stated that “October 21, 2002: The incursion by Benjamin Yeaten, Joe Tuah, Edward Zarmey, Joe Walloe, Osebeo Dehmin, and Mathew Karn into Ivory Coast on the mandate of Charles Taylor. The purpose of the incursion was to act as mercenaries for Philip Doh. A number of people died in the operation, including those who refused to sign on.”
Mr. Taylor also dismissed the TRC’s findings as untrue, saying that it is merely somebody’s opinion.
“That’s total nonsense. Totally incorrect. This is an opinion of somebody that has not been tested in this court. Totally incorrect,” he said.
Also read in court by Ms. Hollis was an April 2003 report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) which revealed that after the assassination of the Ivory Coast’s former military ruler, Robert Guei, Mr. Taylor sent fighters to assist Mr. Guei’s supporters who had promised to revenge the former military ruler’s death.
“At least 500 fighters from Mr. Taylor’s former NPFL [National Patriotic Front of Liberia] rebel group, from the Sierra Leone RUF and ‘able bodied men and women trained in Nimba County, apparently crossed into Danane to join fighters that had been loyal to General Guei. Liberians in Nimba County reportedly saw Taylor’s commanders Benjamen Yeaten and Roland Duo take truckloads of Liberian fighters recruited in Nimba County to Danene late at night every week following Guei’s death,” the report said.
In his response to the ICG report, Mr. Taylor said that “I disagree with everything you have read here. I disagree with this… it is warped. It is totally incorrect, everything that you have read.”
While Mr. Taylor is being tried for his alleged support to RUF rebel forces in Sierra Leone, prosecutors have sought to establish that Mr. Taylor had a policy to destabilize the West African sub-region by supporting rebel groups in various countries including in Ivory Coast. To establish that Mr. Taylor’s activities in Sierra Leone were of a consistent pattern, prosecutors have tried to lead evidence on his alleged activities in Ivory Coast, arguing that it was similar to that of his alleged support to RUF rebels in Sierra Leone. Mr. Taylor has maintained that his involvement in these countries was merely to enhance peace in the sub-region. Ms. Hollis said otherwise.
“Mr. Taylor, in the Ivory Coast, while you were publicly presenting yourself as working for peace, you were in fact involved in escalating and continuing the conflict in Ivory Coast…And in fact Mr. Taylor, that is similar to your approach regarding Sierra Leone, isn’t it?” Ms. Hollis asked Mr. Taylor.
Mr. Taylor responded that “that is not correct.”
Also in his cross-examination today, Mr. Taylor dismissed suggestions that he ordered the execution of RUF commander Sam Bockarie because he knew that Mr. Bockarie had been indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone and he did not want Mr. Bockarie in the hands of the court.
While denying that he ordered the execution of Mr. Bockarie, Mr. Taylor also insisted that at the time of Mr. Bockarie’s death in 2003, he did not know that Mr. Bockarie had been indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Ms. Hollis read news reports which revealed that as of March 10, 2003, seven people had been indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone and this included Mr. Bockarie. Mr. Taylor insisted that he did not hear the news reports.
“I did not hear the announcement,” Mr. Taylor said.
Also on Wednesday, Mr. Taylor questioned the contents of a 2003 United Nations Panel of Experts Report which revealed that Mr. Taylor used MI2 and MI17 helicopters to transport arms and ammunition into Liberia, in contravention of a United Nations arms embargo on the country. Mr. Taylor denied ever having an MI17 helicopter in Liberia.
“You know, it’s regretable. I swear to my life, these panel of experts lied. I never had an MI17 helicopter. These panel of experts sadly lied,” he said.
On Thursday, Ms. Hollis told Mr. Taylor that he waged a civil war in Liberia not because he wanted to free the Liberian people but because he was desperate to capture political power. Mr. Taylor dismissed this claim.
In his direct-examination, Mr. Taylor had testified before that court that the controversial elections of 1985 in which the then Liberian president, Samuel Doe, had cheated his political rival Jackson Doe of victory had been a major contributor to the conflict in the country. Mr. Taylor said that his National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group had aimed to oust Master Sergeant Doe and get Jackson Doe to power. In his cross-examination this week, prosecutors aimed to impeach Mr. Taylor’s credibility as a witness by suggesting that Mr. Taylor had just used Jackson Doe’s name as a public relations stunt and that his aim was to capture power himself. The former Liberian president disagreed.
In putting her points to Mr. Taylor on Thursday, Ms. Hollis asserted that the NPFL’s “right and bounded duty to rid the people of Liberia of the despotism by whatever means at your disposal wasn’t really a true statement.” Instead, the group’s aim was to capture political power.
“You wanted to rid Liberia of Master Sergeant Doe because you wanted to be in power in Liberia,” Mr. Hollis put to Mr. Taylor.
“You can draw your own conclusion but I disagree,” Mr. Taylor responded.
“And Mr. Taylor had you, after Master Sergeant Doe’s death in 1991 made Jackson F Doe president, then your years of civil war wouldn’t have occurred, would they?” Ms. Hollis enquired further.
“I don’t know the basis of your conclusion, maybe from some expertise, but I disagree with your conclusion or your assumptions, or your speculations, I cannot comment on speculations. We have serious disagreements with that,” Mr. Taylor responded.
Prosecutors have been seeking to impeach Mr. Taylor’s credibility as a witness testifying in his own defense. In his cross-examination, prosecutors have not only questioned Mr. Taylor about events occurring in Sierra Leone, for which he stands charged before the Special Court for Sierra Leone, but they have sought to question him about his activities in Liberia in order to establish that the actions of rebel forces in Sierra Leone were consistent with those of the NPFL in Liberia. Prosecutors have also sought to establish that Mr. Taylor was not truthful on many issues that he discussed during his direct-examination. One of the issues covered today was to establish that Mr. Taylor was not truthful about his reasons for waging a war in Liberia. It will be for the judges to determine whether Mr. Taylor has been credible as a witness or not.
Also in court Thursday, lead prosecutor Ms. Hollis informed the court that she will need about 7-8 more days to conclude the cross-examination of Mr. Taylor.
Mr. Taylor is responding to charges that he was involved in a joint criminal enterprise with RUF rebels in Sierra Leone. Mr. Taylor has denied allegations that he supplied arms and ammunition to the rebels in return for Sierra Leone’s blood diamonds and that he helped them plan certain operations during which atrocities such as rape, murder and amputation of civilian arms were committed. From July 14 to November 10, 2009, Mr. Taylor testified in direct-examination as a witness in his own defense.
Mr. Taylor’s cross-examination continues on Monday.
I was finally able to get a workable link to the PBS interview done with Daniel Chea the former Defense Minister. I see this interview was done in 2005 before Charles Taylor was arrested. My conclusion now is that Daniel Chea was just trying to save his own skin from prosecution.
Aki
Could you please post the link so that some of us can see for ourselves. But just to add to your own line of thought. in 2005 , Taylor was not president , he was living in exile in Nigeria. And like you put it , Chea could have made such a statement under duress by UNMIL Forces in Liberia, “to save his own skin from prosecution.” Chea was has been workiing with the UNMIL disarmanent program, and he had no choice fearing that, if his boss was arrested by the almighty international power. Then who was him not to be arrested? So he had to cooperate.
Let note from the prosecution own fresh evidence, that bringing Taylor to this cout began as far back as 1991. According to the prosecutor, then Monroiva city major, disguised as, Interim president Amos Sawyer wrote a letter to the UN or somewhere talking about prosecuting Taylor for war crimes. So this was a long held conspiracy against Mr. Taylor.
But why was this evident not presented during the prosecution case? This shows that at the time of their socalled indictment ,they lack such evidence and was only making up stories as time went by. This is similar to the recent funny paper they presented in this court as document from Mia Farrow that said, she said super model Noami Campell said one mystery man said that Taylor said she should buy his diamonds. “TOTAL NONSENSE!”
Hi King Gray — just on your last comment below — I understood that the document from Mia Farrow was alleging that Mr. Taylor’s men came to Ms. Campbell’s room to give her a diamond, not to ask her to buy diamonds — but let me double check just to be on the safe side. I also understand that the document itself was not given to the Special Court’s prosecutors until late 2009, and so was not available to the prosecutors during their case in chief.
Also, here is the frontline world interview with Daniel Chea — http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/liberia/chea.html.
Best,
Tracey
Folks,
This case is becoming sillier every day. Just when you think the case can not get any dumber, is when Ms. Hollis proves you wrong. Sure, it can get dumber: and we are seeing it right before our eyes. However, what “if”, President Taylor remotely heard of those threats, does it mean that he is responsible for Sierra Leoneans killing each other? Guys, we have run into unforeseen snafu here by the crumbling and unprepared prosecutors. I wanted this kind of failure, but not to the extent to which the prosecution has failed in a horribly terrifying way like this. SHOW US THE PROOF MS. HOLLIS. Stop delaying. Nontheless, if you have the evidence available, I am personally asking you to please bring it forward. STOP WASTING TIME. I am going to be louder than I can ever be. MS. HOLLIS, PLEASE SHOW US THE PROOF OF THIS MAN BEARING THE GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CARNAGE IN SIERRA LEONE.
I am not sure that jose and I are watching the same trial, because jose seems to be under the misapprehension that the preponderance of evidence undermining/impeaching Taylors credibility can be dismissed simply by shouting ” louder”, fortunately for ‘Humanity’, the outcome of this ‘Momentous Trial’ will be determined by the evidence.
Wadi William,
I don’t see the connection from my post above to your response to me. Could you be a little more clearer by expanding on what I wrote in regards to your response? However, I was very coherent and unambiguous in my post. I said, Ms. Hollis should show us the proof and stop delaying. I also said, if she has the proof available, I am personally asking her to bring it forward and stop wasting time. So Wadi, what is in this, that you just don’t understand? Notwithstanding, you talked about the trial will be determined by evidence. it is true. I certainly agreed with you, that the trial should be and must be determined by evidence. Again, Wadi, what is the problem, if I asked Ms. Hollis to show us the evidence? I will again shout on top of my lungs even more. MS. HOLLIS, SHOW US THE PROOF. SHOW US THE EVIDENCE THAT THIS INNOCENT MAN WAS THE HEAD OF THE RUF/AFRC. SHOW US HIS RANK/POSITION WITHIN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND OF THE RUF/AFRC, ESPECIALLY YOU BEING A PRIOR MILITARY PERSONNEL. SHOW US THAT THE REBELS TOOK ORDERS FROM HIM BEING THEIR BOSS, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. SHOW US THE 5 BILLION DOLLARS THAT YOU SAY THIS MAN “HAS” IN FOREIGN BANKS. SHOW US THE GUN MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN LIBERIA THAT WAS MAKING WEAPONS FOR HIM, AND IN RETURN, HE GAVE IT TO THE REBESL. SHOW US THE COMPANY AND RECEIPT OF THE PURCHASED ITEMS, THAT HE BOUGHT THE SIERRA LEONEANS WEAPONS FROM. SHOW US DOCUMENTS CONTRARY TO THE RUF’S SALUTE REPORT. SHOW US THE COMPANY THAT BOUGHT THE ALLEGED SIERRA LEONE DIAMONDS FROM TAYLOR. SHOW US THAT TAYLOR WAS CAPTURED IN SIERRA LEONE AS AN ILLEGAL ENEMY COMBATANT. SHOW US DOCUMENT TO PROVE THAT HE WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE OF FIVE. SHOW US THAT HE ORDERED THE REBELS TO DO WHAT THEY DID. SHOW US THROUGH DOCUMENTS, THAT HE WAS PART OF A PLAN TO ANNIHILATE THE SIERRA LEONEAN PEOPLE. SHOW US THE PACT OR AGREEMENT BETWEEN TAYLOR AND THE REBELS. SHOW US THAT HE DID NOT HELP TO BRING PEACE TO SIERRA LEONE WHILE SERVING AS THE POINT MAN FOR THE PEACE PROCESS. SHOW US THAT SIERRA LEONEANS WERE NOT IN THE LIBYAN’S TRAINING CAMP, WAY BEFORE, TAYLOR EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GOING THERE. SHOW US ETC, ETC, AND ETC MS. HOLLIS.
The people of Sierra Leone are bad all by themselves. No one need to tell them to kill their own people. Read history and then you wouldn’t be so confuse.
AMEN SAMUEL T. NIMLEY, TO YOUR EXCELLENT POST. I COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER.
Sam you are quiet correct!!!
Sam, may I suggest you reflect a little more deeply before you unleash such a bigoted comment as this “The people of Sierra Leone are bad all by themselves.”This is, almost a ‘blood slander’ of the people and nation of Sierra Leone, and at the very least ‘We’ deserve an apology which I hope will be forth coming.
As Always Wadi’The Zima’
Wadi,
In defense of Sam, Who were the heads of all the major players in the Sierra Leonean war? Teajan Kabbah, Johnnie Paul Koroma, Foday Sankor, Isaac Sassay, Sam Bockarie, Inga Norma, and ect, are all Sierra Leoneans. However, Sierra Leoneans are responsible for Sierra Leoneans problem and not the other way around. Blame you and your fellow Sierra Leoneans for “long sleeves, short sleeves”, and stop your false excuse of not taking responsibility for your own actions. Man up and say the truth, and stop blaming our dynamic and illustrious president, His Excellency, Dr. Charles G. Taylor.
Wadi,
have you ever heard Liberians blaming Ivory Coast, or even Guinea and Sierra Leone for our problems like the way you Sierra Leoneans do? NO. Instead, we always blame ourselves and our leaders. However, I think you should take a queue from your old adage of blaming someone for your action and DNA and blame your makeup or yourself.
Jose.
As I always say to people such as Wadi. “All Sierra Leoneans have to do to see who caused their problems is to look in the mirror.”
Hey Mr. Wadi-Williams,
Why should anyone apologize for saying Sierra Leoneans kill and murder their own people? Liberian did the same too, but we didn’t amputated Kids, Women, Old men etc. If you really want to see how evil some of your people can be, look at Cry Freedoms and the National Geography Channel special BLOOD DIAMOND.
I do believe we should first take a look, a really good look at ourselves first before always shifting blames. We (Liberians and Sierra Leoneans) are wicked people, but SL scored really high marks. How can you(SL) go into your own villages murder, Rape and Amputate babies, how and why? Because Charles Taylor told you to do it? Really? Damn, it’s a shame because this was quite the opposite in Liberia, many able body men and women pick-up arms to save guides their families, neighbors and community, this is a fact
If YOU and others don’t quickly realize that those atrocities was a sole wickedness of SL, but always trying to place spins and blames on others, believe me my brother those terrible days will surely come back because we haven’t learn. A smoker, drunker or drug addict has to admit and recognize the damage or problem before he/she can ever really be cure or seek treatment.
We Liberians Never blame the Ivory Coast, Libya and B. Faso for our problems; although, they help significantly, we blame ourselves and I think it’s about time you guys start to do the same. Remember, I m a Liberian, grandparents from SL, so I do have roots in SL
Hi Grebo,
Thanks for your comments. May I respond to your thoughts from a legal perspective? Part of the underlying aim of international criminal law is to highlight the notion that horrible crimes happen because individuals order them, or fail to stop them, or don’t punlish them when they do happen. It hopes to take the stigma and blame from those crimes away from entire nationalities and countries, and to recognize that each individual who committed a crime must take responisbility for his or her actions; and that the people highest up the chain who were in the command and control positions must be particularly answerable for the crimes that are committed.
Part of what this and all the Special Court’s trials are aiming to do is to focus on individuals who are suspected of being in charge and in a position to stop atrocities happening — these trials do not focus on the righteousness or perceived characteristics of entire peoples and countries. What is beyond doubt, however, is that both Sierra Leoneans and Liberians suffered horribly during their wars, and so many are still rebuilding shattered lives. Brutality happens everywhere in the world — no single country has got a mark on it or is particularly good or bad at it. Individual people are perpetrators, and individual people are victims, and individual people are bystanders who watch it all happen. It is the people at the top — who are thought to bear “the greatest responsibility” — who are asked to answer for their alleged role when international crimes are committed, and that is the lens through which these trials try to get us to look at accountability for international crimes.
I’m curious what you and others on this site think about that as a framework for discussing the horrors that happened in Sierra Leone.
Best,
Tracey
So Tracey, when will President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia be held accountable for being one of those that bears the greatest responsibility in Liberia’s destruction? She said she was with Taylor and gave him 10,000.00. One of the original founders in person of Tom woewiyou said, she gave over a milion dollars to destroy her own people. Taylor said, she was the international leader/ head of the NPFL. So why is she roaming around free?
Please answer this simple question.
Hi Jose – I’m not in a position to answer this question, I’m sorry. If the TRC recommendation for a war crimes court comes to fruition, then an independent prosecutor would be in charge of deciding which individuals to investigate and prosecute for bearing the greatest responsibility for the crimes committed in Liberia.
Best,
Tracey
Tracey,
I know that you are not in the position to answer that question. Believe me. I know. Liberia is not Sierra Leone. However, let them enforce their so-call asset freeze list in Liberia first. Ellen, who is their puppet, can not even enforce their asset freeze list in Liberia.
Wadi,
Sorry that Sam was very straight on the issue. I guess in your mind he should have put it the other way to reduce your pain. But the fact remains that your war, I mean Sierra Leone civil war was much different from ours in Liberia in all forms. We fought for fifteen years without intentionally cutting limbs and lips of individuals. It is regrettable to see nearly half of the population of SL without limbs and lips as a result of a civil war that lasted for eleven years. It is a shame for any man to have done this to his brothers and sisters in the name of war. This kind of war crime and many others carry out against armless people, will leave civilized mind like Sam with no other option, but to put it straight as he has done. Whenever I picture the activities of RUF, I can only conclude that they are all batch of animals from another under ground planet.
Regards
Harris K Johnson
Tracey,
I saw your response to Grebo. However what you state is the reason we in Liberia find it hard to believe Charles Taylor is guilty of what is alleged. The vast majority of clear thinking individuals will not accept that Mr. Taylor told Sierra Leonean rebels to go into villages and hack off the limbs of babies. This is a fallacy created by the West. Just like the West chalked up Mr. Taylor’s presidential victory to a vote of fear. Further more how could Mr. Taylor way in Liberia stop these rebels from doing these atrocities even if he had known about them.
I haven’t seen this interview by Chea, but its really interesting that people on this forum can even suggest that Taylor did not know/heard of what was happening in the neighbouring countries.
Taylor had a press secretary, information minister, foreign affairs minister and an amabassador accredited to freetown. In this event Liberia was been accuse by almost every reputable organisation in the world of interferring into the affairs of our neighbours. For to Taylor to play ignorance of everything around him in this regards is really funny. In any case if his govt. official failed in the discharge of their duties, the blame will end with him squarely. So, if the ambassador, or the minister did not do their job, then Taylor will have to answer, that is why he was president.
Jose, the trial is not yet finish, so be patient like the rest of us. We are all waiting. It take a single document and one day in court. Ms Hollis has ask for between 7-8 days to finish. If Taylor is guilty or not we will know before the end of this year in the meantime let the trial flow.
Eagle-Eye(Returns)
By your reasoning than we should equally assume that all the crimes that goes on in America, the American president is aware and failed to take any action to prevent those crimes. I am talking mostly about those terrorist like crime, like Columbine High school where evidence shows that the attack was communicated well in advance.
Tracy
could you help confirm please why the transcript of 19th January was omited from the special court’s website?
Thanks
Where is this case going? We are still awaiting the evidence of guilt.
How much longer is the prosecution due to last for their cross-examination again? Can anyone please tell me?
Hi Helen — the cross-examination is set to last another 7-8 days, according to Ms. Hollis’ estimations.
Best,
Tracey
Tracey,
In my view, this is good news after the judges had condemn all those false docs. from ms. Hollis today… Iam happy “Major Ray” is going to rest his head a little bit…
Hello,
I have followed this trial for some times now and have found nothing linking Mr. Taylor to the Sierra Leonean crisis. Persecution is yet to provide any credible evidence that will convince me and other liked minds as to Mr. Taylor bearing the greatest responsibility for the carnage in Sierra Leone. I want to inform the persecution that they can only do justice to their consciences by informing the world that there is nothing on their files to convict Mr. Taylor and bring an end to all this procrastination. Let me also inform the persecution that Sierra Leonean have a track record of being very brutal, blood thirsty and evil. They were not fooled by anyone in commiting those acts. They are responsible for the evil meted out to their own brothers.
rgds,
Joshua
Joshua,
Welcome and please stay… we have been singing this song forever and ever.. thanks for the joiner…
Joshua,
You are phenomenally awesome. You are smart. You are wise. You have just hit the bull’s eye, if you don’t realize it. You’ve hit your target from 200 yards. However, Keep up the good work Joshua.
Joshua,
you have a valid point which the prosecution and their co Taylor haters have failed to understand. The Sieera Leoneans are not robots they knew what they were doing nobody could have told them to do what they did not want to do. they have to take responsibility for their actions and stop diverting attention away from themselves and looking for a scape goat in Charles Taylor.
Concerning the death of Jackson F. Doe and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf double dealings. Folks should please read this open letter that was published by Mr. Tom Woeyuwi wrote an open letter to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf describing her dubious behavior in the destruction of our country:
http://www.theliberiandialogue.org/articles/c091505tws.htm
Direct quote from letter:
“When Jackson Doe crossed over from Fendell to Kakata in mid 1990, I was in Sierra Leone at a peace conference. Taylor told me it was a big day of jubilation in Greater Liberia. To let you know he was well; that he had been given a nice and fitting home in Buchanan. A month or so later, Jackson could not be found. I did not hear of your outrage as you were in the “Level Monrovia, we will rebuild it” mode. Say something to the Jackson F. Doe family.”
King Gray, KIng Gray and King Gray.
The Old and New King Gray from the Great Bassa Tribe of West Africa, you have done it again. Good research work by you. I am so pride of you and the rest of the guys who see through the prosecution fake case against this innocent man. At least, the world may be able to see transparently why these people don’t want to help us to seek real true justice.
Wow ! Judge Sebutende, You are such a great educated woman. Bravo to you and all the rest of the judges.. job well done thus far..Also I want to extend my thanks and appreciations to the ICC technical team for keep the trial live . Not leaving out our hard working Trace Gurd , Alpha Sesay and their crew too. Thank you all for keeping us abreast of the day to day developments of the trial.
Hey Noko5,
my heart up to you for the compliment to the crew, to include Trace Gurd and others. they are great people and Liberian will remeber them as history unfold. I halla for you too my bros.
Aye !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Chappy, my pekin. The victory dance in monrovia will not be easy……. Oh my God , I am feeling your mighty powers and miracles work on earth. Jesus is telling them every day that they are wrong . LEAVE THE POOR MAN ALONE………I will thank God for these folks everyday until I go to my GRAVE…..
Chappy ,
My pekin , thank you, thank you…….thank you ohHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
King Gray, this is exactly what my post was about. How can anyone compare the Columbine incident to what happened in Sierra Leone. Besides, the sad loss of life, the two issues are completely different.
The incident itself my not have been prevented but the culprits, if they had survive would have been apprehended and prosecuted. Taylor is been accused of protecting such people. Also, if there was a failure in the system that allow the columbine incident, an investigation I’ sure followed, Taylor did not carry out any such investigation.
I must stress also columbine was an incident, but what happened in the Sierra Leone cannot be refer to as a single incident. Now we accept Taylor is not guilty until the verdict but don’t try to trivialize what is clearly a gross violation of people right
Hi Ismail — Sorry if I have posted my comment on this before — but I received a comment from you on Janaury 25 at 5:15pm which did not meet our policy. If you can reframe the first sentence to take the focus off another reader, I will happily post it. I am happy to send you a copy of your text if you need it.
Thanks for your understanding.
Best,
Tracey