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| Africa: West |
| Sierra Leone Leader Rips Liberia’s Taylor |
| 2003-08-06 |
| President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah on Tuesday blamed embattled Liberian leader Charles Taylor for enabling a decade-long terror campaign in Sierra Leone by rebels infamous for hacking off the limbs of civilians. "And he tried to pot me as well!" Kabbah said Taylor, now besieged by rebels in Liberia seeking his ouster, played a key role in the deployment of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front rebels, who waged a brutal 1991-2001 war for control of this country’s diamond fields and government. Taylor ``is known to have sponsored and organized the initial invasion into Sierra Leone by arming and directing the invaders and his support for them remained active throughout the civil war,’’ Kabbah said. "And he’s a loonie besides!" He spoke at the final public hearing of the newly peaceful West African nation’s truth and reconciliation commission. The truth commission heard testimony from about 450 people — victims and perpetrators — since early April, in a bid for a national catharsis after Sierra Leone’s war, distinguished by its viciousness. Sierra Leone’s U.N.-backed war-crimes court announced its indictment of Taylor on war crimes charges on June 4, accusing him of supporting the rebels and bearing the greatest responsibility for human rights violations during the country’s conflict. The rebels — led by Foday Sankoh, who died last week — killed tens of thousands and used machetes to amputate hands, feet, lips and ears from thousands of others, including infants, in an attempt to subdue the people. After military intervention by foreign forces broke the rebels, Sierra Leone declared the war over in early 2002 and soon held peaceful elections. Not that the countries who helped make this happen, like the UK, ever got proper credit. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Something about a man named Ahmed proclaiming human rights violations against someone named Charles just bothers me--given the track record of all the Ahmeds in the world |
| Posted by: Not Mike Moore 2003-8-6 10:37:39 PM |
| #1 Oh Darn. I thought he had LITERALLY ripped chuckie. Tell him I know a good taxidermist. |
| Posted by: SOG475 2003-8-6 11:34:05 AM |