Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, has been found to have “aided and abetted” war crimes by a United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague.
After four years of hearings at the special court for Sierra Leone, the disgraced one-time guerrilla leader was found to have provided sustained support for rebels during their reign of terror in the neighbouring west African state.
He was also said to have participated in the planning of certain attacks, including the assault on Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
The judge said Taylor would be sentenced on 30 May after a hearing on 16 May.
a tin-pot dictator of no real significance to any except his unfortunate victims.
I’d take it seriously if they indicted & convicted major players in the war crimes game, such as many US military & political leaders, right up to the Presidency.
Even though the US would not recognize the court, a conviction might actually score some much-needed political points around the world and keep other countries from helping us in our illegal behavior. Poland’s investigation of their earlier complicity in the CIA’s secret prisons is a start.
Convicting Dubya, Cheney, Loo, et al might encourage other countries to refuse to cooperate with our ‘black’ activity.
Each President refuses to go after past criminals lest a precedent be established and he & his would be indicted by the next regime.
Convicting a governor or congressman now and then isn’t much a corrective.
Putting the top politicians, bankers & CEOs in prison for 30 years might actually change things. Even aside from the issue of Justice.
It is worth remembering that the Founding Fathers were all traitors.