Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday July 15 2010 issued a decision affirming the conviction of Charles Taylor Jr., aka Chuckie Taylor, who was convicted in October 2008 by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and sentenced to 97 years imprisonment for “committing numerous acts of torture and other atrocities in Liberia between 1999 and 2003,” while he served as head of the country’s “ Anti Terrorist Unit” (ATU) during the presidency of his father, Charles Taylor Sr.—who is himself presently being tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone sitting in The Hague for allegedly controlling and supporting rebel forces who fought and committed heinous crimes in Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002. Mr. Taylor Sr. has denied the charges against him.
Mr. Taylor Jr. was convicted and sentenced in 2008 under a United States domestic statute-the Torture Act– which establishes the basis for prosecution of United States citizens for crimes of torture committed abroad. Mr. Taylor Jr., a United States citizen by birth, sought a reversal of his conviction on the basis that the “Torture Act is unconstitutional.” According to Mr. Taylor Jr., while the Torture Act derives its authority from the obligations owed by the United States as a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT) of 1984, the Act “impermissibly exceeds the bounds of that authority, both in its definition of torture and its proscription against conspiracies to commit torture.” Mr. Taylor Jr., also challenged his conviction on several other grounds, including based on a section of the Torture Act which makes it a criminal offense to use or possess a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, that the said provision “cannot apply extraterritorially to his actions in Liberia,” and that his trial was unfair based on several procedural errors, and that the United States District Court erred in sentencing him after his conviction.
After assessing all the facts of the case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued a decision that Mr. Taylor Jr.’s convictions were constitutional, and that it was within the powers of the United States Congress to criminalize torture as well as conspiracy to commit torture. The Court of Appeals also ruled that contrary to Mr. Taylor Jr.’s suggestions, “both the Torture act and the firearm statute apply to extraterritorial conduct, and that their application in this case was proper.” According to the Court of Appeals Mr. Taylor Jr.’s trial and convictions “were not rendered fundamentally unfair by any evidentiary or other procedural errors, and that his sentence is without error.” The convictions and sentence of the District Court were affirmed in entirety by the Court of Appeals.
At age 20, Mr. Taylor Jr., called mostly in the Court’s judgment as “Emmanuel” was appointed as head of Liberia’s ATU, which was also known as “Demon Forces” after his father, Mr. Taylor Sr. became the democratically elected president of Liberia in 1997 after having led the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group in a bloody war that sought to unseat the government of Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe. The ATU was charged with the responsibility of providing security to the Liberian president and his family.
As head of the ATU, Mr. Taylor Jr. recruited men into the Unit and established its training camp at a place called the Gbatala Base. As described in Court by one of the ATU recruits Wesley Sieh, under the direction of Mr. Taylor Jr., ATU soldiers dug “twenty grave-size prison pits,” and covered them with “metal bars or barbed wires.” The base also contained a holding cell for ATU soldiers who became disobedient and an educational training center called the “College of Knowledge.” The commander of the Gbatala Base was David Campari, who took his orders from Mr. Taylor Jr. According to the Court, the ATU was Mr. Taylor Jr.’s self described “pet project” and that all ATU affiliates called him “Chief” and that his car license plate carried the inscription “Demon.” The Court noted that from 1997 to 2002, Mr. Taylor Jr. wielded his power in a terrifying and violent manner, torturing numerous individuals in his custody who were never charged with any crime or given any legal process. Several witnesses testified at Mr. Taylor Jr.’s trial including victims such as Sierra Leonean refugees who were arrested at checkpoints and tortured at the Gbatala Base, and Liberian nationals who were arrested and tortured because they were perceived as being affiliated with groups opposed to Mr. Taylor Sr.’s presidency in Liberia. Witnesses also spoke about individuals being executed based on orders from Mr. Taylor Jr. After his father, Mr. Taylor Sr., left the Liberian presidency and sought asylum in Nigeria before he was finally taken into the custody of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Mr. Taylor Jr. left Liberia in July 2003. In March 2006, as he attempted to enter the USA from Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Taylor Jr. was arrested at the Miami International Airport for attempting to enter the country using a false passport. When his luggage was searched, US lawmakers discovered a book on guerilla tactics and notes of rap lyrics which made reference to the ATU. In November 2007, a grand jury sitting in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued an indictment against Mr. Taylor Jr., with charges relating to “conspiracy to commit torture in Liberia against seven unnamed victims — with death resulting to at least one victim — by seizing, imprisoning, interrogating, and mistreating them, and by committing various acts with the specific intent to inflict severe physical pain and suffering, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and committing substantive crimes of torture against five named victims…” in violation of the US Torture Victim Protect Act of 1994 (The Torture Act). In October 2008, after a trial which lasted for one month, Mr. Taylor Jr. was convicted on all counts and sentenced to an imprisonment term of 1,164 months or 97 years.
Mr. Taylor Jr. appealed his conviction and sentence before the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. On said appeal, the Court of Appeals noted the following:
On Mr. Taylor Jr.’s appeal that the Torture Act is “invalid because its definition of torture sweeps more broadly than that provided by the CAT [ UN Convention Against Torture],” the Court of Appeals noted that “Notably, the existence of slight variances between a treaty and its congressional implementing legislation do not make the enactment unconstitutional; identicality is not required. Rather…legislation implementing a treaty bears a “rational relationship” to that treaty where the legislation “tracks the language of the [treaty] in all material respects.”
“Applying the rational relationship test in this case, we are satisfied that the Torture Act is a valid exercise of congressional power…because the Torture Act tracks the provisions of the CAT in all material respects…and the CAT declares broadly that its provisions are “without prejudice to any international instrument or national legislation which does or may contain provisions of wider application…Put simply, the CAT created a floor, not a ceiling, for its signatories in their efforts to combat torture,” the Court of Appeals said.
On Mr. Taylor Jr.’s appeal that “the Torture Act oversteps the bounds of the CAT by criminalizing not only consummated acts of torture, but acts done with no more than the “specific intention to inflict” severe pain or suffering, whether or not such pain or suffering is actually inflicted,” the Court of Appeals noted that “The CAT expressly directs state parties to punish unconsummated crimes of torture. Specifically, it requires that state parties criminalize not only torture, but also attempts to commit torture.”
“In simple terms, an attempt to commit torture is exactly the same as an act done with the specific intent to commit torture,” the Court of Appeals said.
The Court of Appeals also rejected Mr. Taylor Jr.’s claim “that the Torture Act is invalid because its official-conduct requirement uses the phrase “under the color of law,” rather than the phrase “in an official capacity,” as found in the CAT. The Court responded that based on an explanation given by the Senate Executive Committee charged with evaluating the CAT, “there is no distinction between the meaning of the phrases “under the color of law” and in “an official capacity.”
“In sum, we can discern no merit to any of Emmanuel’s constitutional challenges to the way in which Congress defined torture in the Torture Act. If anything, the arguably more expansive definition of torture adopted by the United States is that much more faithful to the CAT’s purpose of enhancing global efforts to combat torture,” the Court of Appeal said.
Mr. Taylor Jr. also challenged the “Torture Act as unconstitutional because it applies during armed conflicts.” The Court of Appeals referenced Article 22 of the CAT itself, which provides that “no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.”
“Accordingly, there is no merit to Emmanuel’s contention that the CAT, or legislation authorized by the CAT, cannot apply during armed conflicts,” the Court said.
The judges also rejected Mr. Taylor Jr.’s argument that “he cannot be prosecuted for torture committed before Liberia became a signatory to the Convention Against Torture in 2004.” According to the judges, “nothing in the CAT limits its application to torture committed within the territorial borders of its signatories.”
The Court of Appeals stated that “The Supreme Court made clear long ago that an absent United States citizen is nonetheless “personally bound to take notice of the laws [of the United States] that are applicable to him and to obey them.”
“Emmanuel was a United States citizen at all relevant times — when the Torture Act was passed and when he committed all of the acts for which he was convicted. As such, he is bound by United States law “made applicable to him in a foreign country…For disobedience to its laws through conduct abroad, he was subject to punishment in the courts of the United States. Thus, there was nothing improper about application of the Torture Act to Emmanuel’s conduct in Liberia before that country signed the CAT,” the Court said.
The Court also said that Mr. Taylor Jr. was wrong in his challenge that the “Torture Act does not apply to the extraterritorial conduct of a United States citizen.” The Court noted that the US Congress has the authority to regulate the extraterritorial conduct of US citizens and that this is exactly what the Congress did in the Torture Ace.
“It has long been established that Congress has the power to regulate the extraterritorial acts of U.S. citizens,” the Court said.
Mr. Taylor Jr. sought to argue that he should not have been prosecuted for his actions because “all of his alleged acts in furtherance of the conspiracy to commit torture were “governmental self-preservation tactics.” The Court rejected this argument, noting that “the CAT thus anticipated prosecutions such as this one, where torture is committed by a regime in order to maintain its brutal control over an unhappy populace.”
Mr. Taylor Jr. also appealed his conviction on the basis that the District Court had made multiple errors which had had a huge effect on his fair trial rights as an accused. The Court of Appeals rejected this claim.
“As this Court has explained, evidentiary errors are not grounds for reversal “unless there is a reasonable likelihood that they affected the defendant’s substantial rights; where an error had no substantial influence on the outcome, and sufficient evidence uninfected by error supports the verdict, reversal is not warranted,” the Court of Appeals said.
On Mr. Taylor Jr.’s objection that notes of rap lyrics obtained from him had been used as evidence against him, the Court of Appeals ruled that the language used in the lyrics were relevant and that their probative value was not outweighed by any unfair prejudice.
“The rap lyrics were relevant and their probative value was not outweighed by any unfair prejudice that might have arisen from their admission into evidence. Specifically, the lyrics stated such things as: “Take this for free, six feet is where you gonna be. ATU niggas on the scene. Body bag is all you see”; “More sweat in my training means less blood in my life. So with the shots from guns keep it dead and precise. Bull-doze ambushes in the midst of a fight. Try to cut my supply, you’ll be losing your life”; and “army thugs united.” Such lyrics were probative on multiple fronts,” the Court said.
According to the judges, they were not persuaded by Mr. Taylor Jr.’s argument that his 1,164 months or 97 years imprisonment was invalid.
As the Court of Appeals judges concluded their judgment, they stated that “In sum, we affirm [Mr. Taylor Jr.’s] convictions and sentence in full. The Torture Act’s proscriptions against both torture and conspiracy to commit torture are constitutional, and may be applied to extraterritorial conduct…Finally, Emmanuel’s advisory Sentencing Guidelines range was correctly calculated by the district court, and the sentences imposed violate neither the CAT nor the Constitution.”
There is a saying;”an apple does not fall far from the tree” and that being said, there is rejoicing amongt Emmanuel Chuckie Taylor Jr’s victims, both dead and alive for his conviction and this wonderful story about his appeal being squarshed! yes, like father, like son. This is justice and that is what I like about The Great United States of America! Now let’s turn our attention back to the father, who probably, as alleged,the worst criminal in modern Africa since the fall of Idi Amin of Uganda!
Victims Lyrics
Take this for free, life in prison is where you gonna be, Police naggers on the scene, prison walls is all you see, more sweat in my prison means less blood in my life; criminals and thugs is all you see, so with the shots from justice keep the flame alive, clam and sanity in midst of a fight. Try to tell me I am wrong you will be losing your life army thugs united.
A very good day for Justice in LIBERIA.
This is justice, but we all looking forward for the mean big fish.
I think any man caught in the act or accused of a crime should have to answer to the justice system. Chuckie’s case shows how bias the US justice system is towards international justice. The message I’m getting is “We hold our own citizens at a higher standard than our own government officials”. Their effort to charge Chuckie went over and beyond expectation. But the effort to find possible criminal charges for the government official responsible for the torture at gitmo, have not experience birth. Justice may have been served but it’s a case of discrimination. Picking and choosing how justice is distributed is extremely offensive, highly discriminative and abuse of the justice system. I respect the Liberian people who praise the US for justice. I also see the tears of the Muslim brothers and sisters who were denied justice. Until the conspirators of the torture at Gitmo are brought to justice, any crime of torture prosecuted on American soil is a joke and justice looks like a game of “hide n go seek” in which the government official are immune from the seeker.
Emmanuel is an American so shall he face the weight of the law. I strongly feel that the CIA and Bush should also be punished for torture over sea. I’m just sorry for Emmanuel cus he never listen to advice ,but when about his own way.
Harris K Johnson
I said it before privately, and I’ll say it publicly here. Regardless of whether or not Mr. Taylor Sr. is convicted of the charges for which he is accused, the stories coming out of this case, along with the stories of similar prosecutions such as the case against Mr. Taylor Jr., indicate that for a small period of time in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, a few men in west Africa had a field day at the expense of the masses. My hope is that the conviction of Mr. Taylor Jr. will serve as a deterrent against other warlords who might try to use the US as a safe haven.
There is a big difference between Charles Taylor Sr and Jr case. Charles Taylor Sr is charged with crime allegedly committed in Sierra Leone, while Jr was charged with crime committed in Liberia.
Think about it.
perverse!
Honestly,
If Chuckie had listen to his dad, he won’t had been where he is today.. He deserved to be punished. The judgement was fair. CUz I was around and I know…..
Noko,
I have been trying to follow the very good comments and dialogues on this site when I can as this phase of the legal proceeding is inundated with boredom and falsification to say the least. However, you inspired me to surface to say a few words. It looks like you were a “big fish” in the days of the jungle king, Charles Taylor. I like your comment: “Cuz I was around and I know…” Wow!!! You came out bold. Didn’t you? I like your boldness.
That said, folks, what has this story got to do with the case at The Hague? Can anyone help me out? Why don’t we focus on the Taylor at The Hague and leave his little boy BE?
Uh…did anyone say Happy July 26 to all Liberians? Yeah…I wish these many years could reflect our socio-political, economic, and intellectual maturity. But this is only a wish, I guess, for the reality speaks otherwise.
Tracey or Alpha, please post this and delete the other post.
Big B, a crime is a crime. Be it in Liberia or Sierra Leone. By the way chukie could not have done any worst than his dad. He copied everything from Taylor Snr.
I hope he can now reflect on his actions and hopefully seek redemption for his soul.
I also hope there will be a war crime court for Liberia one day so the whole truth can be told about what really happened in liberia.
Eagle Eye,
Look ,you do not know what you are talking about: Chuckie only made through because of other family members and friends advice. Why do you think he got dismissed from the leadership of the ATU, if his dad wanted him or was happy with his attitude. Besides the war situation that was surrounding Charles Taylor, he’s a man that you will want to deal with. Hes a down to earth kinda guy who takes no nonesence. Taylor is in jail because UNCLE SAM IS PISS. The U. S. also knew that Chuckie was an American from the onset and failed to stop him from doing whatsoever he did. Do not blame Charles Taylor for Chuckies behavior. He did all on his own accord. There were several disciplinary measures taken against him. He failed to listen to his parents…… HE IS ONE OF THOSE TIPICAL AMERICAN KIDS THAT YOU AND I KNOW OF……HARD TO UNDERSTAND…
Tracey and others on the forum,
Let’s analyze the the Chucky Taylor case. On the prosecutors side you had The U.S. Justice Dept. helping, you had I.C.E. helping, you had the F.B.I helping, you had the Liberian Govt. helping, you had Human Rights Watch helping, you had prosecution witnesses helping who were granted politcal asylum in the States and Europe and you had both a Cuban American Judge and Jurors who probably could not point to Liberia on the map.
All this against Chucky who had a public defender. Now my question Tracey is what about the inequality of arms in this case ? These are the same tactics the Special Court tried to use against Charles Taylor. They tried to bring the weight of their massive resources against Mr. Taylor and his one lawyer. Fortunately the judges saw reason and gave Mr. Taylor adequate legal resources to fight the case which he now has a good chance of winning. There was no way Chuckie Taylor stood a chance in that court in Miami. The jurors who by the way being Cuban Americans themselves were sympathetic to the prosecution as they related the case to what they or their parents may have suffered under Castro.
In closing this case is just another example of the bias the United States government has toward the Taylor family. Why is it that George Boley the leader of the Liberian Peace Council will only be deported if found guilty of the same charges Chuckie Taylor is now serving 97 years for ?
Aki,
Is George Boley an American citizen or a Liberian citizen? Chuckie was tried as an American citizen who committed crimes outside the U.S.
If there is a war crime court for Liberia, George Boley would be one of the first persons to be haul to court including other prominent Liberian government officials and president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
So as lovers of justice, lets start petitioning for a Liberian criminal court and make sure every key player in the sub-regional conflict is held accountable and not just Charles Taylor.
Nossirah,
Thanks for your comment to my post.What seems to have not been explained to the public adequately is that the law which Chucky was tried under is applicable to any person who is in the United States whether this person is American or not.
Aki
This is a common practice (high profile cases get unlimited resources) in the American judicial system. A public defender is a joke and the case against Chuckie is valid but it’s a joke. He was railroaded and made an example of. I have mixed feelings about Chuckie case. We all know Chuckie is guilty but the way they went by convicting him is similar to a water down version of jungle justice. I’m feel sorry for all the victims and their family that Chuckie hurt but “justice is not a dish better served cold” revenge is.
“Why is it that George Boley the leader of the Liberian Peace Council will only be deported if found guilty of the same charges Chuckie Taylor is now serving 97 years for ?”
Aki
There is no equality in the jobs of the defense and prosecution. The prosecution must show that the defendant is guilty beyond a shadow of doubt, whereas the defense only has to introduce sufficient doubt.
The prosecution have a much more difficult time.
Questions,
It is the ” inequality of arms” whcih the judges found in favor of Charles Taylor. The judges then postponed the trial for several months until he got adequate resources. This has enabled him to fight the case on somewhat even terms.
Chucky’s conviction was uphead because he is an American, who left his country and committed acts of tortures & murder against Liberians and Sierra Leoneans,as he serves as chief on his father Charles Taylor’s death squad. I think this decision is very justified and sent a clear warning to those Taylor wannabe that the world is tire of people driving around mother Africa in Cars with License plate # “DEMONS”
Ziggy,
you might be a patron to demonic deeds yourself, however unwittingly!!!!!
AKI,
the reason is simple cuz George Boley is not even a naturalized American citizen and he’s not even a citizen in any shape or form, so that makes it the legal procedure to deport him if found guilty. On the other hand you boy Chucky is a born American citizen, that’s why he’s is in that situation. Get you facts tight before you speak
SK,
I suggest you research the law before you speak.
SK,
So if Mr. Boley is deported and Liberia has NO CHARGES against him….will be walking the streets of Monrovia like the rest?? YES….so why is the US wasting the taxpayers’ money?? Just DEPORT him….case close for he’ll be found GUILTY regardless of whatever defense he puts up.
NOKO5, I am surprise you’re trying to vindicate Taylor about Chukie behaviour. Before Chukie returned from Ghana, his father knew what he was up to. There are two main points here, one been a father and other been a head of state.
Indeed most decent parent try their best for their children to be decent people and have no doubt that Taylor indeed did his best but like in most cases children do not normal turn out to be what their parent wish them to be. This, I can cannot blame Taylor. As they say in my village, you can born the child but can’t born your heart.
Second part is been head of state. Now here is where Taylor problem starts. He was given the responsibility by the liberian people. There is no way Taylor cannot tell me there were no decent and hardworking liberian in liberia or anywhere in the world to be given the job to head the ATU.
He could have join the ATU if his parents wanted him disciplined but making him the head and giving him all the powers to do what he did is the responsibility of Taylor.
Eagle -Eye,
I understand where you are coming from. Lets asumuingly assume virtually that as a father and head of the state Liberia at the time , stringent measures should have been taken by Taylor to serve as a deterant to Chuckies attitude. WHICH HE DID. But teh situation was just one those unfotunate ones . The ATU, if my memory can serve right ,( stand to be corrected), was not very autonomous. The command structure also fell under the SSS of the Executive Mansion . In this light , it was also the duty of the SSS director to instale diciplinary measures in the interest of the presidents securty in a way. By this I mean, the intelligent unit of the SSS failed to do their constitutional duty to the president as require by law. Cus they may have not inform him timely enough so that he stops Chuckie from harrasing and malhandling people. Lets remember, the president is just a person. This is one reason why, I will say, Liberians need to stop looking up to their presidents for every action and start to hold the presidency accountable…..WHERE WAS DE LIBERIAN GOVERMENT???????
This is what one of the prosecution insider witness said under direct examination in March 2008. It was Isaac Monger. Prosecutor Nicolas Koumjain was asking the question:
Q. And when you say he communicated with you, by what means of
communication were you able to speak to Foday Sankoh?
A. Well we had the field radios that we used, and those were
the Yaesu radios, and so it was through that radio that I
received the call from him when I spoke with him.
Q. Did Foday Sankoh tell you whether he and Johnny Paul Koroma
met with anyone else in Liberia?
A. Yes.
Q. Who did he say that they met with?
A. He said they met with Mr Taylor and Mr Taylor spoke to both
of them for the two of them to join hands and to work hand in
hand and for Johnny Paul to forget about all the past, that the
things that happened in the past whilst Foday Sankoh was not
around, and that they should come together as one since the peace
was now signed and that they should work according to the
dictates of the peace accord. So, those were the advice he gave
to them and that was what Foday Sankoh told us.
The key point in this short exchange is that according to Isaac Monger, Sankoh told that that Taylor had advise both Sankoh and Johnny Paul to work in keeping with the Lome Peace Accord. That was the purpose of the Monrovia meeting after the signing of the Lome Accord.
Nosirrah, I agree with you that Boley’s case is different form Chukie’s case. I also agree that we should set up a war crime court for Liberia.
However, I did not believe if this was to happen today, the president will be indicted. The simple truth is like former president kabbah of Sierra Leone, for now atleast there are not enough evidence to charge president Sirleaf for war crimes. The fact that she suported the NPFL, does not and will never make her a war criminal. There is no such law. People will have to prove she had enough influence in the NPFL to be held responsible or she took part physically in the crime or commissioning the crime or she commanded a unit/group of units to who was responsible. We all know that was never the case. Let’s address the issue, if we want to.
Does this mean Taylor was responsible for all the war crimes committed, absolutely not. There are other war criminal in liberia and in indeed in high position in liberia. It is quite easy to blame presidnt sirleaf, but we liberians should bear some of the responsibility too, as we voted some of them to power.
Eagle Eye,
Have you heard the expression “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”? if Ellen was the financier of the NPFL at inception and you contend the she does not have enough “influence” in the NPFL then I wonder what your definationo of “influence” is, because in this case the prosecution has not accussed Taylor of actually committing any of the crimes himself but they are accussing him of been a financier and supporter of the RUF. If Taylor can be indicted and tried on those terms, then there is no reason why Ellen Sirleaf should not be tried along those lines in a Liberian war crimes court.
Exellent piece, Eagle-Eye. Besides, Ellen Johnson was never indicted by War Crime Tribunal, neither did she, physically ,participate beside given the initial monetary support to NPFL, in good faith, just like, jfallahmenjor, was fan for Charles Taylor at the beginning until he betrayed the revolution for personal gains and his extreme cruelty in not distiguishing between civilians and combatants! This is where I fell off with Taylor. I knew then that he was a lunatic with delusional ambitions to rule an empire in West Africa!
Momo , Isaac Monger is the most discredited prosecution witness, he is a clear lair who told nothing but lies on the wtiness stand. These are some of the lies Isaac Monger told the court
1. He joined the NPFL before December 25 1989 and the NPFL was already training people in Gborplay become December 25, 1989.
2. NPFL captured Ganta in one week time in early Febraury 1990
3. Immediately NPFL moved to Gbarnga and captured Gbarnga from Prince Johnson in one day time
4. Then NPFL moved to Kakata and Bong Mines simulatenously and captured those two areas
5. Then by late February of 1990 NPFL had reached Coco-cola facotry where Taylor had his own check point called CIC check point.
Then one of the most lies Mongor told was about Cassius Jacobs, he said Cassius was dark skin about 5 ft tall, and that CJ become commander of EMG by Febrary 1990 in Gbarnga. All of these statements by Isaac Mongoer are nothing but lies, lies and lies.
CJ was nobody in NPFL in 1990, the special forces were in charge. CJ became EMG commander in 1994, that is when people really began to hear the name Cassius Jacobs in Gbargna. And CJ was not dark skin but a very very light skin or as we would say in Liberia, a red man about 6 ft tall. Monger is a liar who knows nothing about what happened in Liberia. He was simply paid to lied against Charles Taylor.
Infact, NPFL went to Bassa, Harbel , Kakata before going to Gbarnga. Monger is a lair, because one did not have to be an NPFL person to know some of these things, especially about CJ role as commander for the EMG. Monger was in SL killing his own Sleaons, he knew nothing about what was going on in Liberia.
King Gray, I find your research very interesting. However, I wonder why you’ve got all these pieces of information, seemingly, to your disadvantage? Man like you should have information on whether there were human intestinals and skulls placed at check points,and yet you claim there were non even though so many witnesses disagree with you. Besides,a lie is a lie whether from Mongo, isa, or taylor! But time and again, through desperation, most fail to see between the truth and lies, especially the support group for NPFL. I will never get over how truths have become shaded just so taylor can return to continue with murders, he is alleged, to have fueled amongt the NPFL and RUF rag-tags low class rebels ever!
This is a very good back ground search Momoh Dahn, I have read prosecution witness Issac Mongor ( an RUF commander ) testimony regarding his conversations with Foday Sankor after the Lome peace accord, but Charles Taylor under oath said that Issac Mongor was a lier, and that he had never met or spoken directly with both Foday or Johnny Paul, an accounts that was established as false and misleading by the prosecution.Why was this man CT allowed by Griffith to testified on his own behalf for so long and drowning himself this deep is a surprise to all legal scholars & a critical review of Griffith and his team, as the judges decisions still pending, enought reasonable grounds have been exposed for conviction of Charles Taylor against the people of Sierra Leone, and I hope the people of Liberia will one day have the opportunuty to file similar charges against him CT and Yeatent! and many thanks to the US of A, at least we all know where the “DEMON” Chucky Taylor JR. will be spending the rest of his life! LONG LIVE THE PEACE PEOPLE OF THE MRU,& mother AFRICA.
Correction, in my last post I wrote this “CJ became EMG commander in 1994, that is when people really began to hear the name Cassius Jacobs.” I meant to say that CJ became EMG commander after 1990 but people really came to hear about CJ in 1994 , thats when CJ name was really big due of the fall of Gbarnga, in which CJ, and Nikson(sp) Gaye was killed or executed.
There should be some other correction with “become” in some places it should be “became.”
Monger further lied in his testimony that the NPFL under Chatles Taylor was the first to captured Bong Mines and later Prince Yedue Johnson’s INPFL captured it from the NPFL. What a gross lie. Listen to Prince Johnson’s own accounts:
https://www.trcofliberia.org/more-new-hearing-videos/prince-johnson-part-2-0d0/view
1 NPFL frist attacked was launched without arms but knives and shot guns in Butuo; there the NPFL siezed AFL weapons following the execution of the AFL commander in that area. That was the first set of weapons the NPFL used to advance the war.
2. They proceeded to Karnplay to attack (not Ganta as Monger stated),the Armed Forces of Liberia’s heavy weapons group, there he (Prince Yedue Johnson-PYJ) gave an order to executed Taylor if Taylor came accross to the men. Contrary to Isaac Monger lies that Charles Taylor was in Nimba county during the early days of the war, Prince johnson tells a different story. PYJ story has been collaborated by other key prosecution witnesses including former Taylor’s vice president Moses Blah. Defense witnesses who were former NPFL special forces have also contradicted Monger’s lies. Isaac Monger was never a NPFL person and he is nothing but a liar. PYJ says, due to his order to execute Taylor; Taylor was informed and did not cross into Liberia during that early period of the war. Whether PYJ reasoning for Taylor not crossing into Liberia is correct, the fact of the matter is this, Taylor was not on Liberia’s soil during that early period of the war, as testified by liar Isaac Monger.
3. According to Prince Johnson, there were major battles between the NPFL and INPFL during the early statges of the war in Nimba county, mainly in the Tapita area. Later he proceeded to Palala (a part of Bong county) and passed through David’s town going to Gbarnga. PYJ says Gbarnga was tough, but it was not well secure because the AFL was more focus on Nimba. So he PYJ passed through David’s town and attack the AFL barracks in Gbarnga and captured it. He then proceeded to Monrovia passing through back passed to Fendell, the University of Liberia campus just outside Monrovia.
One other important point , on a different matter. PYJ corroborated Charles Taylor’s testimony that he too (Prince Johnson) was given a radio communication by the American. The American gave him one radio and also they gave Taylor one radio to be in touch with the both groups. PYJ stated that he did not attack the executive mansion due to fear of civillian massacre. The Americans had advise him against attacking the mansion to force Doe out. PYJ said that the Americans told Taylor the same thing after the NPFL had reached near the mansion at the University of Liberia. According to Prince Johnson, both he and Taylor decided not to attack and over run Samuel Doe not out of weakness but because they listened to the Americans.
Here is latest News from Yahoo.com Liberia: “AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s testimony about a “blood diamond” in the war crimes trial of ex- Liberian leader Charles Taylor has been postponed until August 5 at her request, a court spokesman said Monday.” Hope this puts an end to the debate whether Naomi should testify or not!
Now the concern should be whether she, too, will be believable, as many on this blog think like a one-way street with only one focus:’to save the chief!’ I hope Namoi will not surprise most, if, in fact she returns the diamond in question, at everbody’s surprise! Wouldn’t that be a knock-out blow to Defense team? Or perhaps Naomi states that she definetely never felt right about this particular gift and therefore decided to give it to a non-profit Charity organization. WOW, I can’t wait for this one evidence that will disrobe the chief in his web of deceptions, lies, and cover-ups! Welcome back ladies and gentlmen!
United States justice system is a joke. If you’re black/immigrant, your lost at any US court is almost certain; guilty or innocent. But in such a “GREAT NATION,” men go out there (other countries) to murder a million with the Eagle badge and his crimes are cover by the states’ government. Bush went free like those who came before his term. Obama is here, we all loved him so much for his commonsense ideals of a “more better world than the one we’ve inherited,” and continues the same business as usual. I am disappointed in our hypocrisy and bunch of lies when it comes to what US democracy has been gradually turned into in recent since the ages of the radical republicans of the 1800s.!!!
Look at those “leaked Documents”, guys, I think we have a better topic to focus on than this taylor waste of time case.
Dear John Thompson,
I received a comment from you yesterday at 1:43pm which alas I cannot publish. If you can reformulate the second line which focusses on another reader to fit with our policy for comments, I will happily publish it. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Best,
Tracey
Hi Fuad,
I received your note of July 26 of 4:52pm and I completely understand your concern. The issue for this site is that we cannot publish anything that states that a person committed a crime, or which attacks other bloggers personally. Is there a way to reformulate your posting to remain within our policy? Perhaps by asking questions? (although please note that readers on this site are not obliged to give out any personal information). If so, I will be glad to post. Let me know if you need me to send a copy of your post to you by email — I’ll be happy to do so.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Best,
Tracey
Hi! Tracey,
I have read your comment on my post of 26/07/10. I thank you so much for that, but however, I would like to reflect your mind on one of my post two months back at the time Faya Musa was on the witness stand. Noko5 and co personally attacked me and you posted it on the site but at last you defended me and my posting. Indeed I appreciated it very much as it was a good work done by you on behalf of me.
However, these pro-Taylor symparhizers are loosing their emotion on people who cretisize the involvement of CT in the conflict in Sierra Leone. I Pray and hope, you cretically in the future will edit some of their report or contributions as you have done to me. This is the second time you have denied my post. Thank you and God bless you for your guide and corrections. I appreciate it and I will adhere to it.
Stay blessed.
Fuad,
Thanks for your note and your understanding. I do take your point, and we do try to ensure the same policy is applied equally to everyone. We may not always get the balance right, and I do appreciate you and other readers telling us when you think we have made the wrong choice and for the specific reasons why. It helps keep us on our toes and ensure that we are applying our policy fairly across the broad.
Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience caused by not publishing your post in its current form, but happy to post it once it fits with our policy.
THanks for your understanding, Fuad.
Best,
Tracey
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