US senators demand trial against Liberia's Charles Taylor

[Jahness]

US senators demand trial against Liberia's Charles Taylor

Thu Apr 28, 7:23 PM ET

Eight influential US senators urged US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to push for the handover of former Liberian president Charles Taylor to a special tribunal so he can be tried for alleged war crimes.

The senators also said there were credible reports that Taylor continues to meddle in Liberia's affairs and has "associations with Al-Qaeda."

"It is time for the international community, the UN and the United States to put an end to this extraordinarily destructive chapter in West African history," Senator Judd Gregg, a Republican, said in a statement.

"The only way we can put an end to it is if we allow the court to try Taylor and bring him to justice."

Taylor took exile in Nigeria in August 2003 to end the second of two civil wars in Liberia since 1989, evading an indictment by the UN-backed war crimes court in next-door Sierra Leone for allegedly arming and training rebels during that country's decade of war.

Despite an international warrant for his arrest, the Nigerian government has refused to hand Taylor to the Freetown tribunal, saying his exile was essential to the peace process in Liberia.

"There are credible reports that Mr. Taylor has repeatedly broken the terms of his agreement with the Nigerian government, continues to meddle in the affairs of Liberia and other West African nations, is involved in a number of activities that threaten to destabilize the region, and has associations with Al-Qaeda," the senators said in a letter to Rice.

"Permitting an indicted war criminal to escape justice from a United Nations and United States supported tribunal, undermines Security Council resolutions and damages our country's efforts to promote and protect human rights around the world," they wrote.

In addition to Gregg, the letter was signed by Republican senators Lincoln Chaffee, Arlen Specter and Mike DeWine, and Democrats Jack Reed, Russell Feingold, Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy.

Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050428...2302&printer=1

[Erzulie Danto]

the bullshitting of this damn gov't never ceases to amaze me. hands off the genocide in Sudan but go after Charles Taylor. how many dictators are living large in Western capitals, free and easy? Baby Doc is chilling in Paris as i write this. it will be interesting/sickening to watch how many times and for how long "associations with Al-Qaeda" will be used as license to strangle and discredit anyone the US gov't is not feeling. war crimes!!??!! US hypocrisy is not even subtle. this state must be smashed there is no other way. resist!

no enlightened critiques here. just writing to say yes, these posts are being read and keep the news coming Jahness. sistren, your contributions to the forum are inspiring.

[Jahness]

Greetings Sister Erzulie Danto!

I couldn't agree with you more. This government is truly not about helping the people as much as it is about stealing, destroying other countries resources, and killing off people of color.

Yes, it is politics as usual, and we all must resist falling into the traps of our oppressors. They will use Al-Queda at all costs to get what they want, and if that means wiping out whole nations then so be it.

They want Charles Taylor, while the biggest criminal the world has ever seen is roaming free in the white house, while he distributes his hatred for all people of color.

It is time for all oppressed people to rise up and resist my beloved sister. we cannot waste anymore time.

Thank you for taking the time to share and for acknowledging my contributions, as i say thank you to you also for your contributions and for being a part of this family.

In humbleness, it is my duty to serve my people and I accept the challenge.

May your path be continually blessed!