In his second day of testimony, a former Sierra Leonean rebel leader continued to distance Charles Taylor from wrongdoing during the country’s bloody 11-year conflict, pointing instead to the United Nations and other Liberian rebel groups who did more to further the rebel cause through weapons supplies and other assistance than the former Liberian president ever did. He also told the court that Mr. Taylor was not responsible for an arms drop-off that is at the center of allegations related to supermodel Naomi Campbell.
Issa Sesay, currently serving a 52-year sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the Sierra Leonean conflict, again appeared before the Special Court for Sierra Leone this week — but this time as a witness for Mr. Taylor.
Mr. Sesay — the former interim leader of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the rebel group which Mr. Taylor is alleged to have controlled and supported – today explained in detail how West African peacekeepers and Liberian rebels assisted his own rebel forces with arms and ammunition during the war.
Mr. Sesay today testified to an arms trade between the RUF and United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO), a rival rebel faction which fought against Mr. Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group. In 1997, RUF leader Foday Sankoh had allegedly given one of his top commanders, Sam Bockarie, USD 7000 to buy ammunition from ULIMO forces as the group had come under fire from a government-aligned militia group, the Kamajors. Mr. Sankoh was arrested and imprisoned not long after handing over the money.
Mr. Taylor’s lead counsel, Courtenay Griffiths, then read aloud sections of the “salute report” – a report prepared by Mr. Bockarie, already highlighted during the trial, that described RUF activities while Mr. Sankoh was in jail.
“Upon your departure, I initiated contact with ULIMO as per your instructions. We re-commenced a mutually beneficial relationship…I used the $7000 you gave me to purchase materials from ULIMO,” Mr, Griffiths read to the court, promoting a reaction from Mr. Sesay.
“This is the $7000 that I was talking to you about when I was explaining to the court that Mr. Sankoh gave to Sam Bockarie to purchase materials from ULIMO,” Mr. Sesay said.
Mr. Sesay explained that the arms trade between RUF and ULIMO continued from late December 1996 up to sometime in 1998 after the removal from power of the military junta which had overthrown the Sierra Leonean government in 1997.
Mr. Sesay said that apart from using the money left by Mr. Sankoh to make payment to ULIMO, RUF also sold produce harvested by civilians from farms. The money made from produce sales was used to pay for more ammunition. At the time, disarmament had not yet been completed in Liberia, he said. ULIMO fighters and their commanders came with arms and ammunition on a regular basis, and other items were also used to make payment to them.
“They’ll ask for money, generators, tape recorders…it came to a time, even if you gave them anything, they’ll take it if you don’t have money. It became very rampant,” he said.
In response to a question as to whether they received any arms and ammunition from Taylor at this time, Mr. Sesay said “No. At this time we did not even have any contact with Charles Taylor.”
“It was not possible [to contact Taylor]. At this time ULIMO was controlling from Foya right up to Bomi. It was not possible to get any contact with Charles Taylor or the NPFL,” he added.
When asked whether they had any radio communication with Mr. Taylor, he said “No. We hadn’t any radio contact with Mr. Taylor.”
Mr. Sesay also told the court that Mr. Sankoh had said he had given $50,000 to another RUF commander called Kposowa to purchase arms and ammunition from West African peacekeepers based in Liberia.
“When Mr. Sankoh came, he told me that he had given money to Kposowa to buy ammunition…” Mr. Sesay said.
Mr. Sesay also discussed an arms drop-off in a Sierra Leonean airstrip which is at the center of allegations involving Naomi Campbell. Prosecutors say that rebels had given Mr. Taylor diamonds in August 1997 to exchange for weapons during his travels in South Africa the following month – during which he is alleged to have sent rough diamonds to Ms. Campbell after a star-studded dinner hosted by then South African president, Nelson Mandela. The month after he returned, an arms shipment arrived for rebel forces.
Today, Mr. Sesay said that Mr. Taylor was not responsible for that shipment of arms, but an “agent for the RUF” was.
“Ibrahim Bah arranged for flight to land at Magagba between Mekeni and Magburaka,” Mr. Sesay said.
Speaking about the RUF’s association with Mr. Bah, the witness said that he (Bah) was a close friend of Mr. Sankoh, the two men having met while they underwent revolutionary training in Libya.
“Ibrahim Bah was Mr. Sankoh’s very close friend…he was a runner for Mr. Sankoh …Ibrahim Bah was like an agent for the RUF,” Mr. Sesay said.
Mr. Sesay also denied allegations that Mr. Sankoh had given instructions to his top commander, Mr. Bockarie, to take orders from Mr. Taylor when Mr. Sankoh was arrested and imprisoned in 1997.
He also denied that Mr. Taylor ordered a merger between the RUF and disgruntled Sierra Leonean soldiers who had overthrown the country’s elected government and formed the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). Mr. Sesay, who was one of the RUF leaders at that time, today told the court that such instructions did not come from Mr. Taylor, but from Mr. Sankoh while he was incarcerated in Nigeria.
Mr. Sesay’s testimony continues on Wednesday.
Lets look at this picture in this way, Why was the prosecution not able to bring a senior top RUF insider to testify against Mr. Taylor and corroborate their false allegations?
They say, she say, he say, her say, him say, them say was all the prosecution presented. Now the real Sesay has appear. This case should end right now! Free Mr. Taylor and let him return to his homeland!
Come on boy,Sesay and Taylor are both members of this clique which saw you and me victimised for years.As a memeber of this develish society-already incriminated,Seasay won’t say anything likely to sway the world against his colleague,Taylor.
Vaa,
If the prosecuors feel he is lieing, let them tear him up but his words are been backed up with documents. Plus, he was a SENIOR MEMBER of RUF, and what does he gain for telling us what he’s telling us? Madame Kanlloh also told her role and to some degrees, he is also backing her words up.
If what he’s telling us the not truthful, I will like to see the prosecutors dissecting them but like always, ZERO we will get from them. Even the Ms. Campbell’s section is been dealt with….how do the prosecutors benefit from her even coming in here and saying YES HIS MEN GAVE ME DIAMOND, when Mr. Sesay is telling us THAT ARM we’re told came from South Africa didn’t come from South Africa but rather Bokina Faso.
Do recall a documentary about a flight with arm?? And the producers were beating their chests was to pointing out DETAILS? Showing us about this plane travelling without a CALL SIGNAL?? And Ecomog bombing the airstrip?? Oh well, that flight that was the shipment from South Africa?? Oh well, Mr. Sesay told us the facts of that plane, what does that say about that DISCOVERY program docementary??
Really, to see this one man go down, the court went from a local court to an international court……with all the POWER HOUSES of intelligence telling us LIES upon LIES about Mr. Taylor did X, Y, Z plus the UNKNOWNS….they thinking we will just drop and agree. They have met their match and he is beating them at all POINTS and LEVELS. To see those judges convict him, it will be a GROSS DISGRACEFUL DISGRACE!!!
Sir,lot of emotions,don’t allow it to fog your judgement,Westerners have been capitalising on these feelings for years…..when you get so emotional your judgement as to what right and wrong can be manipulated.
Mr Taylor maybe responsible for crimes commited in Liberia,why trying him for our war in Sierra Leone total nonsense…SIERRA LEONE HAS BEEN USED AS A LYNCH MOB FOR MR TAYLOR BY THE WEST,and you are a victim sir,the whole of africa is a victim sir……you will never be able to work out what right and wrong by yourself….you are a sucker to others willfu irrationality.
Vaa,
What does Sesay got to win…NOTHING !!!!!!!!!
Issa Sasay is a convict, he is serving time at least 52 years worths for crimes against humanity which included murder,rape,thief of properties, limbs amputations, inlistment and use of child soliders, diamond exchanged for arms for RUF fighters and the list goes on, so presenting him as a second coming by Griffith is subject to backfire! simply he was convicted and during that trial, he was cought in many lies all of which will hunt his creditbility, during the cross.
Ziggy,
Let’s wait for the CROSS but I won’t bet my joy on it. Mr. Sesay been a convict does not take away the FACTS in this case. We saw the RUF process report that prosecutors championed as THE LINK……oh well, Mr. Sesay told us about it because he was there; we heard about diamond been used to pay for arm from South Africa…..a plane bringing the arms, oh well, we also got to know the FACTS of that plane and her shipment; we heard about Mr. Taylor giving INSTRUCTIONS to RUF/AFCL to overthrow the gov’t of SL, oh well, Mr. Sesay told us NOT so and how the plan was put together and who gave the go ahead. Mr. Taylor told about when the relationship between NPFL and RUF started and ended, yes, Mr. Sesay told us the same….you want more??
So where is the LINK?? Yes Vaa, the LINK that shows Mr. Taylor was part of RUF and the SENIOR COMMANDER??
Well this is a mouth full. Let’s see what the international community has to say regarding ULIMO and ECOMOG supplying weapons to the RUF? Will they take this on board now as Issa Sesay is not the only person who has confirmed that ECOMOG was supplying weapons to warring factions both in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Or will they turn a blind eye and still wrongfully accuse Mr Taylor?
We want justice for Mr Taylor! Please leave this man alone. If you were truly interested in justice you would lok into the real perpetrators and stop being dogmatic about pinning these crimes on the wrong man. Is this a lynching mob or what? If true fairness is not used here all respect and credibility of the international justice system will be lost and ruined for years to come. It would turpedo any future that any tribunal could have.
I want to salute the Defence for being able to consistently provide very pertinent and relevant witness who were highly place and therefore in the position to actually know the issues as they unfolded. Bravo Defence Team., Well Done!
If this was a boxing match, the referrer would have stopped the fright. The jabs, the body punches, the left, right combinations, and the left hook, that’s all she wrote.
The only hope for the prosecution to make a come back is to subpoena one guy in Monrovia by the name of alihiji Kroma the head of ULIMO. This is not a set up to entrap the prosecution as I did with Ms Campbell. Most of the defense witnesses have testified that RUF purchased arms and ammunitions from ULIMO and Guinea; it will be justifiable for the prosecution to file a motion to subpoena Kroma as a rebuttal witness.
This case is over!!!! Mr. Bah is the center of the diamond trade…..if we look at the countries during that time where most of the diamond were sold, Gambia stands out to be the most but has NO DIAMOND or atleast of HIGH QUANTITY as in mineral resources. And where is Mr. Bah from?? Gambia.
I beg to ask why didn’t the prosecutors charge him or brought him in as a witness?? Was Mr. Bah also in South Africa at the same time Mr. Taylor was in South Africa?? If yes, could be the one who gave the diamond to Ms Campbell and representing himself as “Taylor men”???
Ms Teage,
The reason why the defense chose to bring Issa in court as a witness is simply to destroy the many lies told about Mr. Taylor involvement in Sierra Leone, which you and others were made to believe. The defense is not leaving any stone unturned in order to prove Mr. Taylor innocent even if Christ will have to come back to earth.
Harris K Johnson
Now I see why all these noise about Mr. Taylor giving diamond to Ms. Campbell. It sounds very crazy for anyone to believe that Naomi Campell, a British, would be a gun runner for Mr. Taylor in exchange for BLOOD DIAMOND when soldiers from her country were on the front line in Freetown fighting RUF and their junta collaborators. Why would Naomi want to kill her brothers. I think the prosecution should be looking else where now that Issa has spoken.
Harris K Johnson
Issa sesay’s evidence is nothing to reckon with. As a disappointed school dropout and having the blood of inocent Sierra Leoneans in his hands will never speak the truth in court. For instance all the atrocities he committed in his own country, he denied all of them in court. It will be the court juridiction to asses and determine the sincerity and truth of this witness who is a lier to himself not to mensure others.
In my life, I have never seen a servant betraying his/her mater/mistress on a course which was well planned by them and excuted in accorsance to their aims and objectives, except for Peter(Judas) who betrayed his master, Jesus Christ for fifty(50) Rubis.
Therefore to those who feel Issa Sesay is saying the truth and nothing but the truth in court as a former key head of the RUF movement in Sierra Leone are misleading themselves. All those former innercore RUF commanders who had close relation with Charles Taylor will never say yes to it in this type of forum, even Foday Saibana Sankoh the head of the movement will not say any negative thing againt his host if he was alive and brought to court to give evidence as a defence witness.
For instance Issa Sesay is now castigating UN and other bodies for the then situation in Sierra Leone for which he had wanted the RUF to rule the country as a government just as the NPFL lead by Charles Taylor did in Liberia. As a result of the UN unacceptability of their carnage and the support the UN gave to the then Sierra Leone government to set up this criminal court of which Issa Sesay will never live for 90 years, sure, he is going to die as a prisoner and only his corpse will be flown back, he will say anything in support of his master as it was under great oath not to say anything contrary in case there is any type of juridiction over the matter. This is what we are seeing today in the Hague.
Issa Sesay go ahead and defend your master and I am sure you are doing the right thing in the right direction so that you will not have a double curse for destroying your own people and for betraying your master for a course which you planned and excuted to a total failure and now you are faced with the doom’s day.
Bravo, good work done, Mr. prisoner.
Fuad,
He MAY have lied in his case but if you listen and look at the documents presented….we see FACTUAL FACTS.
Again, TRUE JUSTICE is what been sought, Mr. Taylor will be FREE MAN but I won’t bet my life on it…..this is a Special Court and Halloween is right around the corner.
You guys are actually missing the point. Where do you think this Sesay of a guy can get the documents. This guy has just been paid and promised freedom if he can give some positive witness against Taylor. My man Taylor was just a Monster.
Issa’s testimony should compelled judges, to end the Dedence case. This is the very most senior Leader of the RUF and giving evidence on behalf of the accused. What more evidence do we need. Please acquit Taylor immediately. Not even an appeal from the prosecution can stop an acquittal. Taylor,– you’re the MAN.
Cathy,
You are very correct, but maybe they are waiting for the slam dunk from Naomi Cambell; Cuz, I am definitely sure she is going to put those prosecution liars faces down to the floor. THEY WILL EAT SAND like chickens…. I bet Brenda Hollis will render her own career useless and retire….
Some of the pro-Taylor comments are almost funny. Really you are just not entitled to your own facts. The prosecution DID bring a number of RUf insiders. The case against Taylor is largely based on 1,2,5,10 witnesses all largely saying same thing about Taylor’s relationship with Bockarie. The witnesses were from all different angles and vantage points. How could a radio operator with Superman corroborate that someone like Jungle took arms to Bockarie and say the same thing as radio operator in Buedu or guy on the shipment. They are independently corroborating each other. This case is stronger than anything thusfar at the Yugoslavia or Rwanda tribunals. So they bought arms from ULIMO…so what?! And who gave them that money? Is it possible that one year after Sankoh gave money that Taylor did? I mean you are all so easily distracted by strawmen of the defence. That is their job but surprising how gullible some of you are. Taylor will be convicted and he can thank his son Sam Bockarie for it. He is the cross around Taylor’s neck.
Bundu,
It is amazing that you still expect a dead Sam Bockarie tp provide the evidence to convict this innocent man.
Who Bundu of this level?? Firstly, we saw Madam Ive and now Mr. Sesay….TWO OF THE MOST SENIOR MEMBERS OF RUF alive.
Mr. Sesay is saying things back by documents unlike those prosecutors’ insiders. Give me a prime witness on the prosecutors side we can say YES….credible.
The anti-Taylor people in this forum seems so bent on revenge..that they are prepare to support and justify any allegation made against him…i guess if the prosecutor alledge that Mr Taylor was Osama Bin Laden right hand man they’ll jump on it.
My healthy advice to you guys is to campaign for a war crime court in liberia.Please think about the implication of your misplaced emotion on this case on the whole of Africa.
I believe the ex sierra leone government(the kabbahs) were grossly mislead.
We demand more sophistication in our thinking or we will be spurned and spurn….
They failed misserabely to bring credible witnesses….thats the bottom line….
Try again BUNDU..
Tracey/Apha,
I would Like to seek clarification about this quote taken from the summary above (Par 17).
“Today, Mr. Sesay said that Mr. Taylor was not responsible for that shipment of arms, but an associate of his was.”
Does this imply that Issa sesay insinuated that Ibrahim Bah was an associate of Mr Taylor or an asociate of Mr Issa Sesay? Because if it is implied by that paragraph that Issa sesay said Ibrahim Bah was “an associate” of Charles Taylor, it is NOT correct. He NEVER said so.
My mouth is full; I have tried to say something, but I can’t say more then 3 words. Those words are: “THIS IS IT”!
Borris,
To tell you the truth I don’t make anything much out of Congressman Kennedy’s statement. What surprised me the most, is for an honorable man like Kennedy, to get directly involved in a sovereign Nation’s politics, by telling its people who to vote for is undemocratic and upright wrong.
If the Congressman is such a good politician and someone who has the ability to motivate people to vote his way, why didn’t he campaigned for the democrats to win his uncle’s seat in the Senate, my most admired Senator of all times Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, next door to Rhode Island, the State he (Kennedy) represents. Instead, the long standing seat of the democrat when to the Republicans.
If I should have any take at all on Congressman Kennedy’s remarks, he needs to stay out of sovereign Nation’s politics, the same way America will not tolerate any Nation melding in her electoral process.
Ellen out, George in, that’s the facts! Too bad Mr. Kennedy!
If the prosecution brings Alhaji Kromah here, they will lose big time. Kromah has already stated on the public records in Liberia that he “Never Collaborated” with Charles Taylor to fight any war. The prosecution has alleged that Mr. Taylor collaborated with Kromah to fight wars in Liberia. Here is Kromah statements as reported by FPA.
http://www.frontpageafrica.com/newsmanager/anmviewer.asp?a=11072&z=2
Here is an interesting quote from Kromah regarding the Taylor trial:
” All I can say is that I can’t tell you that I’m happy that Charles Taylor is there because I fought him. When he was attacked at the Mansion during the Six-Man Council of State, the first place Taylor ran was to my house. He escaped from the Mansion and didn’t go to his own house. He didn’t go to ECOMOG. He didn’t go to Amos Sawyer’s house. He came to Alhaji Kromah’s house even though I was both his military and political opponent.”
The statement by Kromah that even though he was “both [Taylor’s] military and political opponent.” Yet Taylor came to his house under attack shows the nature of Charles Taylor to forgive and reconcile with his enemies. It demonstrates that Taylor does not hold grudges against his former enemies but is willing to work with all Liberians in the interest of the nation. This is why Taylor is still very popular in Liberia because even his worst enemies still have respect for the man.
The prosecution loses here again!
Momo Dahn,
How dare Kromah and You even say Taylor and Kromah never collaborated to fight any war? Taylor and Kromah joined forces during the April 6th 1996 fighting against Ulimo J of the late Roosevelt Johnson. Just because these criminals (Kromah and Taylor) denies their atrocities, doesn’t mean it is the truth. KROMAH LIED. It is true that they were at times opponents, but for a fact they waged war together on Johnson as members of the council of state starting on April 6 1990 to sometime in late may to early june of that year.
Momo,
Please leave the prosecution alone. Afterall, the prosecution and I have developed this two way trust relationships. The prosecution knows that I will not mislead them. I pressured the prosecution to subpeona Ms. Campbell and they did. Now I am pressuring the same prosecution to subpeona Kromah. After Kromah, the next subpeona will be for ellen.
Hi Sam — thank you so much for pointing this out. The confusion was a result of my edits. I will correct it.
Best,
Tracey
OK Tracy No problem.
Many times I tried to put myself in the Anti-Tayor state-of -mind but things just don’t add up. Like many, I m also a victim; however, No relief will come if the wrong man is sent to prison. After many days of reading the actual scripts, it’s annoying why folks can’t just let-up and see reality, that Taylor has nothing to do with crimes committed in SL.
Its easy to reiterate the SO-called popular anti-Taylor slogging, “he’s guilty so hang him” without Pin-pointing to any single evident of wrong doing. Such a stupid outcry isn’t surprising because it goes back to biblical days (Christ). Not to compare the two characters obviously; but for your own talking points, go-head and compare.
Many of those loud mouth posters here ignorant on this Taylor issues, can only be compare with their arrogance in real life. How can you not follow the case or take time-up to read or watch the live feed but rather, feel the need to contribute without knowing the facts. It sadden me to note that, there’re NO actual issue being discuss anymore besides the obvious talking point, ” He’s Guilty, Kill him” damn what a shame. I bet! many of these so called Anti-Taylor folks here don’t even understand the questions pattern as it relate to the case or past witnesses, but with few good grammar at best, they write like they know the actual indictment. Are you guys afraid that prosecuting CT in Liberia is NEXT to impossible? Because if you pull the rope from the bush, the rope will haul more ropes and bushes. I love our Pres. Sirleaf; however, she’s not immune, so if Taylor is charge in Liberia, she will be charge too. so let us all understand that fact!!!!
How good can it actually get if the mean-Man-in-chief who has nothing to loose can stepped over the prosecution and honestly say the truth. THIS IS BIG YOUR!!!! I read many of the anti-Taylor folks posting, calling the current witness all sort of names, WOW! It’s a pity. The inability for those same name calling folks to not go after the many, many witnesses the prosecution brought forth with blood all on their hands, E.g Zigga Mana (whatever the spelling is) shows hypocrisy and their posting is not worth reading at all. This dude did testify of eating human and killing many others personally, so for the life in me, how can any anti Taylor folks talk otherwise? Like I rightfully said earlier, These anti Taylor folks on this site has No substance, so please take clue from Mr. Momo Dahn posting. He’s usually in touch with the issues. Cllr. Griffins smoothly and rightfully said on this same website that, he’ll EXPLOITE the Prosecutor case ( rather then being a mere defense).
First Time readers, let me show you a bit of the exploitation the defense is talking about, this is a flash/mug scenario: E.g Peter Touch testify for the Prosecutor, bare in mind that Peter Touch was once an enemy who fought against Tayor and was paid by the prosecution ( documented fact) to do just about anything. He testifies and said he along with Saye Kona transported munitions to RUF and it was Taylor who send them. Alright, the defense comes with Saye Kona who was the driver on that particular vehicle and said, No, No, not true. This new defense witness who was the driver gives completely different account and at best, wasn’t pay a dime like Peter Touch. Then comes the third witness Mohamed, who according to the prosecutor receive delivery of said munitions. Mohamed comes from the RUF and said he never receive any such munitions which the prosecutor witness Peter touch claimed was deliver to him for the RUF. Mohamed collaborated with Saye kona in every way. So, who do you think is winning my dear first time reader?
Case-in-chief : a witness came forward and his biggest testimony was about having Taylor’s cell phone number and claimed communication took place in regards to Diamond and arms. Unfortunately for the prosecution, the lady who has had and continue to have the cell phone with that same number came in for the defense. It was glaring that she got the cell phone/number from the day cell phone was introduce to Liberia. Anyway, fellow readers, you’ve already gotten the drill, so start from there and don’t get confuse any longer. Peace!!!!!!!!!
Grebo,
That is exactly how I feel. I try to see how with all the evidence presented how people can deny what Taylor has done in S.L. People go as far as denying what Taylor did in Liberia, they deny what we as Liberians saw with our own eyesp…just to show that Taylor is not capable of commiting the crimes he’s accused of in Sierra Leone. So your not the only one dumb founded by the situation. The evidence are presented and is interpreted and then people respond to the evidence. What you and many other Taylorist refuse to admit to is the subjective lense you look at this case through, which I know I myself am guilty of. If you were affected by the war in Liberia and you see Taylor as innocent and others affected by the war in Liberia see Taylor as guilty of the crimes he’s accused of in S.L, then doesn’t that show that our exerience is not the only determining factor as to whether we see Taylor as guilty or innocent? Think about that question is it possible that despite our dislike of Taylor that the evidence really points to his guilt? How about non Liberians non Africans, Caucasians who have no relation 2 Taylor who think Taylor is guilty. Oh I forgot the great evil West.What do u say about them.
I have a very good Italian friend who thinks Taylor is guilty of crimes in S.L just because of his rapp sheet in Liberia, so can you blame Liberians who think Taylor is guilty of crimes in Sierra Leone just because of his murderous rampage. Taylor have the opportunity of a fair trail how many Liberians didn’t have that chance. So even if people think Taylor is guilty because of what NPFL and or Taylor did to them, they are justified for their opinion. That does not mean that EVERYBODY who believes Taylor is guilty belives so just based on the fact that a offense was comitted against them by NPFL and or Taylor. ‘Once a murderer always a murderer’ right isn’t that how the saying go. There are some people who believes Taylor is guilty and they were not personally or directly offended by Taylor or NPFL…
Okay Ms Teage,
Please tell your Italian friend to join the MOVEMENT TO RECOVER THE 5 BILLION DOLLARS, since he/she thinks Taylor is guilty
Grebo,
Really though?
He ‘aint’ got to do a thing but have and express his honest opinions about how he feels about this trail. I only brough him up to make a point, not to enlist him in the team to hunt down 5 billion dollars.
Let’s try to get back to the issue, and avoid the irrelevant emotional discussions.
Teage,
If your Italian friend indeed thinks Taylor is guilty, its a fact that he/she thinks he stoled 5 Billion, so why cant he/she help in the recovery like his/her fellow europeans. You’re the the one with the irrelevant and emotional discussions. The 5 Billions in question is a irrelevant discussion, or is it because you and others want to avoid such discussion because there are NO billions???? Come-on. AGAIN, TELL YOUR SO-CALLED ITALIAN FRIEND TO JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO RECOVER THE 5 BILLIONS !!!!!
Dear readers — please do note that here we are trying to create a forum where everybody is free to express their opinions as long as they fit with our policy for comments. Part of that policy is to focus on the issue and not on other readers. I encourage you to express your opinions here — and many of them — but if we could keep them away from being personally and negatively directed against others, that would help ensure that our conversation remains on track. I continue to ask for your help in creating a forum that is driven by the issues and not by personal attacks.
Best,
Tracey
Momo Dahn,
How about the below pasted quote of Alhaji Kromah as written on the link you sent us?
“This was instant self-defense. That is how we converted ourselves into a quasi army. And even at that, I was still on Taylor’s back. Why didn’t I collaborate with the 1997 elections and I ran against him? He could come to me and say ‘My man, let’s join together and rule this country forever?’ And I could ask him as to who will be president and he would say that you came to liberate and I came to be president. “So let me be the president”. That is what he could tell me. And we never collaborated.”
So, your papay wanted to RULE LIBERIA FOREVER. No wonder why he was willing to go any length including sacrificing the lives of Liberians and Sierra Leoneans to achieve his dream of an everlasting presidency.
I have been following your very lazy arguments on this forum and observe that you have an amazing ability at letting your mind runs wild and then cook up poor analyses to masquerade imaginations as facts.
Did Taylor go to Kromah’s house to render Kromah assistances? Was it an old foe going to the rescue of his enemy? Who is the good man here? The man who sought refuge in the home of his enemy or the man who provided refuge to his enemy and refused to pull out his sword when his enemy was on down? How can an action taken out of desperation and fright be constructed as an act of reconciliation and forgiveness by someone wanting to be taken seriously on this forum beats my imagination.
Only people gullible beyond redemption will take Kromah.s attempts as creating a good knight out of himself seriously. The truth of the matter is that lying is child play for murderers and nobody in his sound mind expects to hear truth from unrepentant murderers.
Anyway, based on your past arguments, I’m not surprise at all that you don’t know that nothing unites people like a common threat and that history is replete with the fact that even enemies suspend their hostility and cooperate for awhile when they are faced with a common threat.
Grebo,
You come as an angry man and writing out of anger tends to make one’s writing incomprehensible and illogical. A case in point is you writing “The inability for those same name calling folks to not go after the many, many witnesses the prosecution brought forth with blood all on their hands, E.g Zigga Mana (whatever the spelling is) shows hypocrisy and their posting is not worth reading at all. This dude did testify of eating human and killing many others personally, so for the life in me, how can any anti Taylor folks talk otherwise? Like I rightfully said earlier, These anti Taylor folks on this site has No substance, so please take clue from Mr. Momo Dahn posting. He’s usually in touch with the issues.”
You have to be confused, laboring under delusion or held ransom by desperation to suggest that lovers of justice, human right campaigners, crusaders against the culture of impunity, haters of wholesale robbery, gang rape and mass murder, and victims of some of the worst crimes against humanity should criticize, discourage and denounce those who found the courage and conscience to openly tell the world about the atrocities masterminded by Charles Taylor and celebrate liars, rapists and murderers who have come up to defend the chief architect of our nightmare especially when we are eye witnesses to these sad and terrible events.
If you could stop being intoxicated with love for Taylor and become sober for even few seconds, you will see that the thing we appreciate is the truth not Manna Zakay or any criminal. If your mind was not set in stone, you would have easily seen that every evil society contains the seeds of its own destruction and the Manna Zakays are the seeds of the destruction of Taylor’s criminal hold on our subregion and for that we must be grateful.
You wrote “Cllr. Griffins smoothly and rightfully said on this same website that, he’ll EXPLOITE the Prosecutor case.” and you then renounced reasoning and prodded ahead blindly talking about the hypothetical Peter Touch, Saye Kona and Mohammed and posed the question “So, who do you think is winning my dear first time reader?”
Either you are being disingenuous or you are not sophisticated enough to understand that Saye Kona and Mohammed may not be giving independent accounts. If you were not intellectually bankrupt, you would have easily seen that there is a highly likelihood that Saye Kona and Mohammed have been coached on what to say. Look at how all the defend witnesses testimonies are made in parrot fashion to the extent that any keen listener can correctly predict the expected answers while the questions are being formulated by the defend lawyers and compare that prosecution witnesses. I’m not surprise that these illiterates and ignoramuses masquerading as defend witnesses don’t know that with modern advances in forensic sciences, psychology, cognitive sciences, etc it is very easy to spot a lie no matter how beautifully it is said but I’m greatly disappointed in Taylor’s lawyers. They ought to know better.
I thought Griffins should be out for the truth and not for exploiting weaknesses in the prosecution case. No wonder why he unceremoniously disappear from court, only to reappear, declare that he has been sicked and requested the Judges to give him days to prepare Issa sesay. Apparently, he has placed lot of capital on Issa and decided not to leave any stones unturned. Maybe, for him, this is about winning a not winnable case and etch his name into folklore. His statement of exploitation is a truth statement of where his interest in this case lies.
To Be continue
Dear readers,
Just a friendly reminder to everyone on this site: let’s make sure to keep our spirited debate on the issues, and not to attack each other so we can have as productive a conversation as possible.
Best,
Tracey
Morris,
All your name calling is okay, because it represent the way you thinks e.g You paste the following quote
“This was instant self-defense. That is how we converted ourselves into a quasi army. And even at that, I was still on Taylor’s back. Why didn’t I collaborate with the 1997 elections and I ran against him? He COULD come to me and say ‘My man, let’s join together and rule this country forever?’ And I could ask him as to who will be president and he would say that you came to liberate and I came to be president. “So let me be the president”. That is what he could tell me. And we never collaborated.”
With all your Einstein thoughts, you failed miserably to understand that the above quote from Kroma was just a supposition, and what he (Kroma) was allotting to was an analogy. You’re claiming this was an actual statement from Taylor? That is sad, my friend, you’ve disappointed me, Man! for a moment i thought you was a genius in reading comprehension, didn’t you see the “COULD”. Wow, Okay maybe that’s how you comprehen. Anyway, lets move on to this quote from you
” You have to be confused, laboring under delusion or held ransom by desperation” Liberia men like BOOK business Yeaaa, I m laughting so hard, Damn! take it easy cuz you seems to have Materially and carefully place the “H” in Rhetoric. Man! you’re full of empty Bs Jargons
Dear readers,
Let’s get back to discussing the issues emerging from the trial and not each other.
Best,
Tracey
Pekin Grebo,
Take it easy bro. you made my day,man,…I took my time to digestively absorb this briliant post of yours…very analitical. good soaking. I bet “General Fixit” will have a black boy on this one
Nosirrah
The issue about Kromah and Taylor fighting together is not in dispute. If you read the FrontPage Africa story , you will see that Kromah admits and agrees that he and Taylor fought alongside against Johnson.
But the point the prosecution makes is what I was responding to and it is the same point that Kromah was responding to. The accusation by the prosecution is that Taylor and Kromah had a pre-arranged plan to collaborate to fight together. It is that sense of collaboration that Taylor has denied, and Kromah is also denying.
The two men insist that they never planned together to collaborate to fight any war together but rather was exercising the rights under the law to defend the state against Roosevelt Johnson attacks. This is the issue.
GreBo,
Let’s agree for argument sake that the usage of the word ‘could’ translates Kromah’s entire statement about Taylor’s dream of a lifetime presidency into a supposition then how does Kromah’s concluding remark ” that is what he could tell me. And we never collaborated.” fit into such supposition?
Taking a single word out of an entire conversation and making a mountain out of it was very crafty of you but where you failed miserably was not knowing that a word can have both denotative and connotative meanings and people have peculiar dictation. I’m greatly surprise you don’t know that there is something called sentence clue.
Here Kromah is accused of collaborating with Taylor.He denied it and reinforced his denial by two examples:
1. Why didn’t I collaborate with the 1997 elections and I ran against him
2.He COULD come to me and say ‘My man, let’s join together and rule this country forever
If we are to go by your argument than Kromah’s entire conversation and many conversations we hear and read everyday will become meaningless.