The trial for former Liberian president Charles Taylor took an early adjournment today when immediately after the mid-morning break, one of the judges reportedly fell ill. Prior to the court’s adjournment, the accused former Liberian president denied allegations that he sent his rebel fighters to attack neighbouring Guinea, saying that he gave approval to “hot pursuit missions” which entered into the neighboring country.
When the trial resumed today after the court’s mid-morning break, Presiding Judge, Justice Richard Lussick informed all the parties that the court will take an early adjournment because one of the three judges, Justice Julia Sebutinde had fallen ill. Since it is important that Justice Sebutinde hears all the evidence in the trial, the other two judges would not proceed in her absence, Justice Lussick said. The court adjourned for the day.
Prior to the court’s adjournment, lead prosecutor Ms. Brenda Hollis accused Mr. Taylor of sending rebel fighters to Guinea in 2001, with an aim of destabilising the country. The attack on Guinea, which according to Ms. Hollis, was code namded “Operation Take No Sides,” was led by National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) commander Mark Guan. Mr. Taylor denied Ms. Hollis’ assertion.
“I know Mark Guan but i do not know of any operation of that name,” Mr. Taylor said.
Mr. Taylor admitted that he approved “hot puruit missions” into Guinea but denied sending fighters to attack the country.
“There were operations that crossed into Guinea but they were hot pursuit operations and I personally ordered those operations,” Mr. Taylor told the court today.
Mr. Taylor has consistently accused former Guinean president Lansana Conte (Late) of supporting Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels who were threatening to unseat his government in Liberia. Prosecution witnesses have testified that Mr. Taylor used this as justification to send rebel forces, including Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels to attack Guinea. Mr. Taylor has denied giving any orders to rebels to attack Guinea.
In response to allegations by Ms. Hollis that based on Mr. Taylor’s orders, RUF rebels joined NPFL rebels in 2001 to attack Guinea, the former Liberian president said that “was not to my knowlege.”
“I am aware of hot pursuit missions in Guinea. These were standing orders approved by me. There are no operations planned but only of hot pursuit,” he added.
Mr. Taylor also today denied allegations that his subordinates in Liberia killed civilians during the country’s conflict as well as when he became president of the country. According to Ms. Hollis, in November 1994, NPFL rebels killed over 100 civilians in Bong County. Ms. Hollis further alleged that after the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) attack on the NPFL headquarters in Gbangha, NPFL rebels killed civilians who were alleged to be ULIMO supporters. Mr. Taylor denied these allegations, insisting that if he knew of any NPFL rebels killing civialians, they would have been prosecuted.
“Not to my knowleged. I can’t say it did not happen but if someone did, he would have been prosecuted by the NPFL courts. The NPFL was the only organization in Africa and Liberia that had courts,” the former president said.
Ms. Hollis also pointed to allegations that NPFL commander Mark Guan killed 9 civilians in 1998, that in March 2001, 14 civilians were killed by Momoh Jibba, that in July 2000, 170 people were killed at Tubmanburg on orders of Mr. Taylor’s Director of Special Security Service (SSS) Benjamin Yeaten, and that in July 2003, over 70 wounded combatants were massacred on Mr. Yeaten’s orders. Mr. Taylor dismissed these allegations as “totally incorrect.”
Ms. Hollis suggested to Mr. Taylor that his “subordinates” in Sierra Leone understood how Mr. Taylor conducted himself in Liberia and so they saw no reason not to commit the same attrocities in Sierra Leone.
“Sierra Leonean perpetrators understood that was the way you conducted yourself in Liberia,” Ms. Hollis told Mr. Taylor.
“I disagree with that interpretation. No NPFL of mine went to Sierra Leone. Liberians went there but not anyone did i send there except in 1991-92,” Mr. Taylor responded.
Mr. Taylor is alleged to have had control over NPFL rebels in Liberia as well as RUF rebels in Sierra Leone. According to prosecutors, Mr. Taylor was in a suprior position over RUF rebels and he knew or had reason to know that they were committing attrocities in Sierra Leone but failed to prevent the commission of those attrocities or failed to punish them when he knew that such attrocities had been committed. He is accused of bearing the greatest responsibility for the crimes committed by the RUF rebels in Sierra Leone.
Prosecutors put it to the former Liberian president today that because the RUF saw how his NPFL rebels conducted themselves in Liberia, the commission of “crimes in Sierra Leone was a continuation of business as usual.”
“The whole of Liberia will tell you that Mr. Taylor did not tolerate crimes. That’s nonsense,” Mr. Taylor said.
“Prosecutions were just a cover,” Ms. Hollis told Mr. Taylor when the accused former president insisted that he ensured that all perpetrators in the NPFL were prosecuted and punished.
“You cannot have it both ways,” Mr. Taylor responded. “On the one had, Taylor encouraged impunity by not punishing for crimes, and when he did, it was a cover up. You can’t have it both ways,” he added.
Mr. Taylor’s cross-examination continues tomorrow.
Did any one else this morning see how Judge Lussick roll his eyes at Ms Hollis when she can out with her most famous statement of this cross- examination of Mr. Taylor, “in relation to that area of cross-examination, we would have relied on other documents current in motion.” Judge Lussick facial expression was if Ms. Hollis was getting on his nerves with that statement.
Ken, this will be first in history for none lawyer to defeat a practicing internationally experienced lawyers intellectually..watch it bro..
Again, what was gained today??? The score reads, Mr. Taylor 6 vs Ms Hollis 0. A damn shame with all the money spend in this case…….today, NOT one question asked pertaining to the charges. Is this some kind of strategy??? Spill out the beans on Liberia and if it seems like he is winning on that front than bring in Sierra Leone???
Totally WASTE of time.
Noko4,
Two weeks has passed and all the Taylor haters can’t still point to any tangible gain. If Ms Hollins is indeed true to herself and the judges in her initial statement, there is only two weeks left and we yet to see any tiny, tainy-winna link(s). I M GRATEFUL BECAUSE SHE’S STRUGGLING. Wow ! I thought I was the only one getting sick from all those odd questions from Ms Hollins but I guess the judges are too. One of them even had to go to the hospital from listening to all those beating around the bush questions
Grebo Pekin,
I could not have said it any better than the spectacular way you put it. However, I’m getting sick too.
Noko4
Don’t forget the purpose of cross is to debunk the defense case in addition to proving hers. The prosecution is trying to unpaint the “peaceful purpose” picture, the defense has established. I’m waiting to see how the prosecution tries to debunk the claims that former NPFL soldiers were recruited as mercenary. Mr. Taylor is telling the truth or he has all the right answers. I agree the prosecution needs to produce contradictory evidence rather than relying on Mr. Taylor to “hang himself”. But Ms Hollis has a lot of debunking before she can state her case.
Al Solo Nyonteh,
Is the purpose of the cross to also present new evidence too, like in the case of Ms. Hollis? Solo, it is rough on the prosecution. Almost an entire week, there was no call no show by the preosecution. Where as President Taylor is having a smooth sailing.
Solo, I’m also waiting to see “Ms. I will bring my evidence later” debunking and contradicting President Taylor’s testimony through hard core facts and evidence, and not hearsay and “E L THEY SAY.”
What is really hunting the prosecution is the wilful self delusion of being so powerful that they can have a plausible denial of the real story by overlooking the rest of the world and all of the evidences presented. However, the evidence presented thus far, clearly exonerates this innocent man.
Al-Solo,
I see the picture but the projector is NOT functioning!!!. Even Mr. Taylor is asking for EVIDENCES relating to the charges. The game been played out is to bring in Liberia’s wars, but what she is LACKING are FACTS. He was there, what she has are HEARSAYS. Even the witnesses she put on the stand relating to activities in Liberia LACKED CREDIBILITIES.
To start, she is jumping over the screen…..NO PATTERN or ORDER in walking us thru what she is trying to establish. Really, the defense changed the game and the play calling…..instead it’s the prosecutors asking for HELP from the judges…..a DISGRACEFUL DISGRACE to say the least.
Noko4
I believe Ms. Hollis strategy is to establish habit or pattern of behavior. Its a poor strategy in my opinion. She is arguing that Taylor did xy and z in Liberia, and this and that happened in Guinea (although CT has not been found guilty of destabilizing Guinea) and since the pattern of behavior exhibited by the NPFL in Liberia and Guinea was brutal, etc. Then CT must have been in control of the RUF because they wreaked havoc on the civilian population in SL just like the NPFL did in Liberia.
As I have stated before. Rebels terrorizing civilians is not unique to Liberia or SL. The same types of things that occured in Liberia and SL occured in Sudan and are still occuring in Congo and Zimbabwe. If it is true that CT was actively trying to destabilize neighboring countries so he could benefit by terrozing the people and pillaging the resources, which is essentially whats being alleged, the prosection better come up with more solid evidence than mere habit based on speculation.
This type of speculative circumstantial evidence should not carry much weight with the judges. All the prosecution has put fourth so far is heresay and speculation…I would hate to see Charles Taylor go free if in fact he is responsible for the attrocities for which he stands accused. They need to do better.
Nika,
I am NOT a lawyer, NEVER EVER attending a law class, even my grandmother who didn’t attend a day of schooling could do better than Ms Hollis.
I will take a MIRACLE to convict Mr. Taylor….and that happens, it won’t base on the MERITS of the EVIDENCES that were produced in this court. It will be strictly POLITICAL. How do the prosecutors impliment this POLITICAL victory is what they pondering, but those days of telling us X is red and we all believe it are gone. They will have tell us WHY X is red.
Ms. Hollis met her match and he is NOT a fool, stupid or silly being who does not understand the Queen’s language…..he is DISECTING her questions and it’s becoming frustrating. One smartness Mr. Taylor implied was to remind ALL that his conviction SHALL BE beyond ALL reasonable doubts.
What I will like to know, if the judges don’t give her the life line…what happens next?? I say we repeat Mr. Johnnie Concrane(sp)…..”IF IT DOES NOT FIT, YOU MUST ACQUIT”
The prosecution confirmed today what everyone already knows; that the war in Liberia starts as a tribal war between the Khran, Gio and Mano tribes. It also shows that it did not matter what organization that was working to get Mr. Doe out of office, came to rule, the Khran, Gio and Mano as tribes would play a major role in this war.
The Prosecution questioning today also bring to reality that Mr. Taylor or no other human being would be able to know all that the prosecution has said he is dishonest about that took place in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It has not come clear what patterns or how the prosecution is connecting Mr. Taylor war effort in Liberia to the RUF war efforts in Sierra Leone in the timeline in the indictment.
The Prosecution and Defense has in some point in their presentation of the case refer to Mr. Taylor past in Liberia. I do not see the important of the prosecution trying to show patterns of Mr. Taylor before the timeline of the indictment. If those patterns were not present from Nov 1996-2003, then what was their point?
The Prosecution and the Defense needs to keep in mind that regardless of all the patterns and evidences submitted the Judges can only consider patterns and evidences that is connected with the charges in the indictment and was during Nov. 1996-2003.
I wish Justice Sebutinde a speedy recovery. I am of the opinion that Justice Sebutinde’s illness has nothing to do with her physical health, it is the prosecution that making her sick. I am sick too, and next person to fall prey to the prosecution sickness will be Justice Lussick. If you take Lus away from Lussick, you are left with Sick.
Ha ha ha ha…..So Big B, you playing SCRABBLE????
This is how I see the judgement call…..Judge Lussick votes GUILTY; Judge Doherty votes NOT GUILTY and it comes down to Judge Sebutinde votes ???? She is the decision maker in this case given she is an African and an African is on trial. She will weight the evidence MORE and vote NOT GUILTY.
Noko4,
IT’S A UNIANIMOUS VOTE. ALL THREE JUSTICES VOTE NOT GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS.
”The whole of Liberia will tell you that Mr. Taylor did not tolerate crimes”. Total NONSENSE. What then did you do when Mr. Sam Dokie and his family got Killed by General 50.(B. Yeaten)?
What about the deaths of:
a.Hon.Jackson F. Doe.
b.Moses Duopu
c. John. Yormie.
Your socalled ATU, SSS, and SOD terrorized and killed innocent people and you sit there lying the hell of yourself.
Brave,
You should remember that Hon. Jackson F. Doe, Moses Duopu and John Yormie are all from Nimba including Yeaten. Why you think Yeaten will agree to Killed his own people know the close relationships the people of Nimba have?
Brave,
let me just ask you this. WHEN REBEL KILLED REBEL THAT TROUBLE? who is John Yormie? He was one of the Prince Johnson rebels that captured President Doe and mutilated his body parts. In fact, It was John who was asking Doe to produce the Liberian people money during the interrogation of the late president. WHEN I SAY MONEY, NOT MS. I WILL BRING MY EVIDENCE LATER HOLLIS FIVE BILLION DOLLARS OF ALLEGED LIBERIA OR SIERRA LEONE MONEY.
Besides, Brave, what will it take for you to get this thing clear? THIS CASE IS NOT ABOUT LIBERIA.
To our Sierra Leonean brothers and sisters, I hope you take this opportunity to know that these Liberians talking against President Taylor are not doing it because of you. Make no mistakes about that. if they were doing it because of you, they would have stuck to the issue in Sierra Leone and not talk about Liberia. All these names Brave has just called, are not Sierra Leoneans. These haters are only using you, because they do not have the political will power to defeat President Taylor in Liberia and so they are using you as a means to an end.
Brave,
We all have heard of those rumors…..what FACTUAL FACTS do you have??? Why didn’t you go to the TRC and testify???
I don’t just know why every person behind Taylor makes a mere loud-mouthed-bully.Who else living at the VOA-1 camp in Brewerville in 2001 did not know that one Mualem Sannoh died at a battle front in Gunea when hoodwinked by Sam Bockarie and Daniel Chea to lead a group of boys there to fight?Even a baby knows at the VOA-1 camp is aware of such.
But Taylor thinks the best way out in securing his release is by denying everything said about his deeds while president.Taylor must be aware that those camps where Chea and Mosquito used to visit had people with Sierra Leone and Liberia at heart.Such people saw what happened over the years and have been reporting what they saw happen.Taylor must have been ensnared.
Vaa Alie Mansaray,
Mr. Taylor is not denying sending troops in Guinea. He told the court that he approved operations in Guinea in pursuit of LURD Fighters.
If you don’t know, Guinean soldiers were fighting alongside LURD to enter Liberia and Guinean Artillery weapons were used against Liberia as a long range support to cover the movement of LURD into Lofa County. At the same time, Guinean Air Force planes were bombing Liberia as LURD were fighting to capture Lofa County!
If it were you, what you could have done?
This can happened any where in the world… infact this is happining right now in the Middle East. Take for example, Israel have gone into lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah so many times. Tuckey have gone into Iraq in pursuit of Hurdishstan workers party rebels group (PKK )!
The president of Liberia have to right to recruit young men and women into the Arm Forces of Liberia ( AFL) in time of war to fight defend the Coutry. What you think job of the president is? I don’t think Mr. Taylor force anyone to take arms! Even the great United States is recruiting everyday and everyday and every year. So what is your point?
Hey Vaa Alie Mansaray,
I really don’t know where you guys come from with this Taylor denying everything crap. On THE RECORD, CHARLES TAYLOR PLEDED NOT GUILTY. If a defended pleas not guilty what do you expect? to agree with everything! Come on folks. All you anti Taylor folks keep saying he’ll deny or he’s denying everything, what wrong with you people? If he denies, and there are evidences, let the prosecution produce them. Dude said I m not guilty, you said he’s guilty show us evidence that he’s lying
Vaa,
You’re behaving like Ms Hollis…..without a FACTUAL FACT, you bring in another RUMORS…why???
Vaa,
The damn Guinea people try us and we chase them. If they ever try us again , we will chase them . So you go now and tell them.. If you try us too ,we will chase you out of this site…thank you!!!
Noko5,
Nobody will chase another out of this site. Hope your weekend is good.
Alpha
24th November 2009 Time 09:03am
Well, there we go again. Mr Holis is ill. Shame that her co’s, Mr Bangura and others cannot handle the matter. I thought they were all lawyers and judges. Why can’t they not carry on the so-called cross examination in the absent of Mr Hollis? Noko4, just to hail what you said as I have always been saying too that this whole trail is nothing but a total waste of resources. I wish people who were been calling for this trail could see and hear batter than what they are at present. Guys, lets open our eyes and seek justice for the suffering, hungry, and sick masses of Liberia and Sierra Leone and campaign for this nonsense to come to a STOP. The balance money being spent can go towards helping the poor in Sierra Leone and Liberia. What will Sierra Leone and Liberia gain even afer Mr Taylor is sentence for life??
Amax,
It is proper to wait for her since she started off….this happened also to the defense, the court and along with Ms. Hollis agreed to extend the RESPECT to hold off til Mr. Griffith got well……WE WILL WAIT FOR HER.
Ladies and Gentlemen on this site,
Ms Hollis case is like a high student interviewing a university graduate. Former President Taylor is her superior.she will always be confused while facing him.
she does not know how to ask her own questions.She needs good tutoring by you anti Taylor.
I think the illness of the chamber judge will have her a little tutoring.
borris nickson,
How do you record the audio version of the trial as you posted. If you could go over the technical procedure I would be grateful. You can either outline it here or send me an email at ajarwey@gmail.com.
Best regards,
andrew jlay
I have a music studio… protools recording system.
Cousin 04,
You know how they are, bunch of criminals!!!
Brenda, Brenda Holis why are you lieing like this?? When Gbarnga was recaptured by the NPFL, there were no civilians , but fierce fighting forces… and the remains of war.. not they say, I am a living witness.. come on.
Ms Hollis, WHERE ARE YOU?
RUN HOLLIS RUN YOU GOT NO EVIDENCE.
Alpha,
Please convey to the honourable justice messages of our prayers from the audience of the open society blog site on the trial and that we wish her a speedy recovery.
Tnks Alpha for the holding
I’ll be respectful to others and their comments.
Ms Hollis, WHERE ARE YOU?
Oh no!!!!!
RUN HOLLIS RUN YOU HAVE NO EVIDENCE
Noko4,5, Leoroy D. Helen & Others
What have you guys done?
Ms. Hollis is running.
We have got her to know that Liberians are stupid as she was thinking! so sad for her! I don’t know she left her militery retirement to get herself into this mess she’s trying to clean up! Sorry Ms. Hollis!!!
I said, we got her to know that Liberians are stupid because a stupid liberian is getting her to sweat her head off. I think she will have revisit her thinking toward Liberians! Liberia, the land of the free!
I am sure that Mr. Taylor’s comment that the NPFL did not commit atrocities during the Liberian conflict will enrage many Liberians. In regard to Noko4’s comment, it must be remembered that Liberia would have never become an issue had the defense not brought it up. Today’s testimony was important because it aimed to determine whether or not there was a culture of impunity within the NPFL and, if so, the extent to which such a culture was exported to the RUF.
Paivy,
This trial is stupid to the point that what ever Mr. Taylor did was never good enough! For example, his government told the United Nations to sent personnels at the Liberian- Sierra Leonean border to monitor the movement of arms into Sierra Leone when his government was accused of supporting RUF! You know what happened? The UN didn’t do it!
During the war in Liberia, many top NPFL generals were put to death by Mr. Taylor for commiting crimes! For example, Sam Lato were executed for Killing one Sam Massaquoi in Kakata. But what ever he did is consider nothing to the prosecuttion!
I peronally, I want Mr. Taylor to face Justice for what he did in Liberia but to say he should be prosecuted for what happened in Sierra Leone is a totla nonsense and cover up for those who committed crimes against the Liberian people and the people of Sierra Leone!
I remember in 2003 right before I graduated from the US Army’s school of Engineers at Fort leonard wood in the State of Missouri, there were two Sierra Leonean Soldiers in my class that year. One was captain and other one was a Sergeant.
They told me that they were arrested by the Government of sierra Leone of Sierra for associating with the RUF but they were set free because people in the Government were connected to the Rebels. They both gave me their addresses and phone numbers which I still have today!
One of them is called Sesay but I will not give out his first name and if he’s visiting this site, he will know who I am because I was only Liberian in that class in 2003!
Paivy,
You must be NEW to this trial……what the defense did during DIRECT EXAMINATION was to debunk what the prosecutors brought in the case. If you watch she see brought in witnesses, you would have noticed that 90% of what her witnesses talked about was Liberia……Nothing much to do with the charges was talked about.
So forgive me for wanting to know the relationship to what is happening currently in court to the charges.
for your info Paivy, Mr Taylor never denied that elements within the NPFL did comit crimes during the war and he had made it clear that when those cases were brought before the leadership, those responsible were punished. evidence was presented in that reagrd. even Moses Blah corroborated Mr Taylor’s testimony by saying he was adjutant general of the NPFL who was responsible for monitoring the conduct of solders during the war to ensure that they do not violate the operational order and to recommend punishment for that violate it. so Paivy do not misrepresent the fact here it was not the official policy of the NPFL to commit crimes during the war.
Dear Aphal,
I’m really getting sick of the trial now, because the long awaited cross examination is not about the charges of crime commited in Sierra Leone of which Mr Taylor is been accused of but rather Liberia. Please tell me Alpha, is this a Liberia trial or Sierra Leone, because i’m not understanding the strategy here, and what the crime of Liberia got to do with Sierra Leone in this trial.
thanks Alphal
Varney,
That’s the strategy……it’s called OPERATION DIRTY HIM UP. And it goes like this…..we take away his supporting base by showing how evil he was in Liberia, so by the time we bring in Sierra Leone, even if we don’t get a conviction, he will be a dead meat and his base will evaporate or vanish.
So this woman is not a good prosecutor after all the drama..
Nimba Table,
this oldma is feasy. And you know when Liberia man say feasy like Kama, she feasy.
Jose,
All the woman is full of is FOUR_ONE_NINE !!!!!
I which Judge Julia Sebutinde a speedy recovery. Like i said and will always say no Evidence period.
BYE
ZOBON
You know as I watched the trial it makes me to think about the days of the war in Liberia, and this is what really suffer us because of the certain group felt if they are not in power there should be no peace in Liberia. Why hate one man like this? That war was just for one year I may say but because of the hate for this man Taylor the war went on for more than ten years. Anybody could talked to few people in the International Communities and say I got men that can fight Taylor our of Liberia and you will be armed to come and fight in Liberia, This is how all the warring Factions were form. They were not form to fight one another but only to fight the NPFL, that is the foundation on which all these factions were form. Just to fight Taylor and they failed, to drive him out, guess who suffer most we the common people. These factions again to this same idea into the 1997 election to stopped this one man that is hated and it was no surprise they loose again until I was even ashamed for some of them. Now in this trial they have come again under false names wanting this man should be put to prison for the rest of his life, with no proof but he says, one man said, they say, etc. One person can not even say I say or I was present when this happened, Blah himself said they said 50 killed Yomie because he was in jail at that time, where is the proof for all of these things. I am still waiting to see the links of this man to all of these crime then I will know he is guilty. Some posted because of fear people voted for Taylor which fear and he was brave to lied that in Nimba County Isaac Musa and Paul Vaye were telling the people not to vote anyone else on election day. What a lied? How about the ballots counted in Grand Gedeh County, or the on counted at the BTC barrack with in Monrovia? Did someone had the citizen at gun point there again Big Joe. I also work during that Election as well so you haters just write.
Leroy we are dealing with three enemies here, 1, enemies of Mr Taylor, 2 enemies of the Taylor family, 3 finaly the enemies of Mama Liberia. I also work for that very 1997 elections that brought Mr Taylor to the presidency and even the UN reported that it was free and fair, but only the enemies of our own Liberia jump into saying that Liberians were put at gun point to vote Mr Taylor to the presidency. If the Liberians were force to vote for Mr Taylor as claimed by those enemies of progress in Liberia than LURD that rained rocket on Monrovia should be in the presidency..
may the almighty God open the eyes of our brothers in sierra leone to see and know the real terrorist in the past conflict.
may God open the eyes of all Africans to know that the western intension for Africa is not good but a farming ground and later on sterotype it as the poorest continent.
may God help us not to follow the powerful western propergander against one another and our nations.
may God bless Liberia, May God bless Africa.
Leroy,
I could not have said it better myself. I fully agree with you.
The prosecution is just a reconstructed arm of that same group in the international commuity that regardless of what Mr. Taylor did just blacklisted him, much to the detriment of he poor Liberia people.
What they do not understand is when you say democracy, it is the people’s will and their choice. If the people decide that they want a puy dog to be their leader, they should be allowed to exercise their franchise and their choice. Unfortunatey they insisted on Liberia going to election in 1997 hoping that Mr Taylor would lose. When they sa he was very popular ad would most likely win they tried to postpone the elections. Tese people are a bunch of hypocrates. What they forget is that DEMOCRACY IS LIKE A PREGNACY. WHEN A WOMAN IS PREGNATE SHE CAN NOT DETERMINE WHAT CHILD SHE WILL HAVE.
Whether they liked Mr Taylor or not they should have dealt with him if they had any interest in the people of Liberia or were really interested in democracy . However, they do and did not care about the will of the people of Liberia. It was about what was in their interest and who they could pull along and use. Let us not for a minute believe that they care about us. It is always about their interest period.
Even this whole case is not because they care about the people f Sierra Leone, but more about punishing this so-called upity black man who did not follow or do what they wanted. Let’s be clear here.
I their haste to entrap this man they ended up doug a very sloppy job. That is the long and short of it all. Ms hollis is just an extension of their sloppiness.