Monday December 18, 2006
Another Taylor Arrested
Charles Taylor's son, the notorious "Chucky" Taylor, was arrested over the weekend in Miami, as he attempted to enter the United States. According to press reports, he is being held on the charge of providing false information on his passport application. He apparently lied about who his father was.
Chucky, whose real name is Charles Emmanuel, is Taylor's eldest son and a U.S. citizen, having been born in Boston. He was summoned to Liberia by Taylor after Taylor assumed the presidency of Liberia in 1997. Until then, he had barely met his father. But he worked hard to make his father proud, adopting his last name and serving as head of the brutal and repressive "Anti-Terrorist Unit" (ATU). The ATU was one of Taylor's chief instruments of repression, used to round up political opponents, suspected political opponents, business competitors and anyone else the Taylor's didn't like. Many never returned from captivity.
From his perch of family protection and impunity, Chucky engaged in a host of crimnal activities, engaging in business with Lenoid Menin, a Russian-Israeli drug trafficker who engaged in illegal logging activities in Liberia. He had people executed and several times his father had to place him under house arrest because his rages were so violent that even Taylor senior was embarassed. That is quite a feat!
When Chucky was finally maginalized, he returned to Trinidad, where his mother has resided. It is not clear how long he will be able to be held, because there are no criminal charges against him in this country.
Meanwhile, this week the UN Security Council is expected to pass a measure authorizing Taylor senior's tranfer to the Hague for safe keeping. Dutch source say all their conditions have been met. Taylor would still be tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, but the International Criminal Court would lend its facilities for security reasons. Now, if only his son could join him there...
Chucky, whose real name is Charles Emmanuel, is Taylor's eldest son and a U.S. citizen, having been born in Boston. He was summoned to Liberia by Taylor after Taylor assumed the presidency of Liberia in 1997. Until then, he had barely met his father. But he worked hard to make his father proud, adopting his last name and serving as head of the brutal and repressive "Anti-Terrorist Unit" (ATU). The ATU was one of Taylor's chief instruments of repression, used to round up political opponents, suspected political opponents, business competitors and anyone else the Taylor's didn't like. Many never returned from captivity.
From his perch of family protection and impunity, Chucky engaged in a host of crimnal activities, engaging in business with Lenoid Menin, a Russian-Israeli drug trafficker who engaged in illegal logging activities in Liberia. He had people executed and several times his father had to place him under house arrest because his rages were so violent that even Taylor senior was embarassed. That is quite a feat!
When Chucky was finally maginalized, he returned to Trinidad, where his mother has resided. It is not clear how long he will be able to be held, because there are no criminal charges against him in this country.
Meanwhile, this week the UN Security Council is expected to pass a measure authorizing Taylor senior's tranfer to the Hague for safe keeping. Dutch source say all their conditions have been met. Taylor would still be tried by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, but the International Criminal Court would lend its facilities for security reasons. Now, if only his son could join him there...
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
Tuesday December 19, 2006
Taylor is in Custody in Sierra Leone, Will be Taken to The Hague
Former Liberian president Charles Taylor, in handcuffs, has been taken to holding cell #9 of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, where he has been read his rights. That is far more than he ever accorded those whom he butchered and maimed, and is, perhaps, proof that some progress, however hesitant, has been made.
Witnesses say Taylor looked shocked and angry. He arrived in Freetown after a brief stopover in Monrovia, Libera. He will, in the next several hours, been flown for holding, to the facilities of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands. There is much concern that his incarceration cannot be guaranteed in Freetown, which no longer has a large UN peacekeeping presence and where is allies could easily mount an attack to free him.
Nigerian president Obasanjo is taking full credit for Taylor's recapture, although none for his escape. He went so far as to ask for an apology from those who had dared to question him in the aftermath of Taylor's escape. Thank you, Mr. President, but you can put that where the sun doesn't shine. Your behavior in this was an embarassment and was probably criminally negligent.
Today is a tribute to many people: the Special Court, the brave witnesses like my friend CR, the human rights community, my friends in the European intelligence community, those hardy few in this administration and bureaucracy that fought on, those in Congress (Reps. Royce, Wolf, Kelly, Sen. Leahy, Obama, Feingold etc.), and the press, who refused to let Taylor rest in peace. It finally paid off, at least this once. Evil did not triumph over good, something that is far too rare, especially in a region that has suffered as West Africa has suffered. I, personally, never believed this day would come. But it did, and Taylor is out of business. A good day indeed.
Witnesses say Taylor looked shocked and angry. He arrived in Freetown after a brief stopover in Monrovia, Libera. He will, in the next several hours, been flown for holding, to the facilities of the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands. There is much concern that his incarceration cannot be guaranteed in Freetown, which no longer has a large UN peacekeeping presence and where is allies could easily mount an attack to free him.
Nigerian president Obasanjo is taking full credit for Taylor's recapture, although none for his escape. He went so far as to ask for an apology from those who had dared to question him in the aftermath of Taylor's escape. Thank you, Mr. President, but you can put that where the sun doesn't shine. Your behavior in this was an embarassment and was probably criminally negligent.
Today is a tribute to many people: the Special Court, the brave witnesses like my friend CR, the human rights community, my friends in the European intelligence community, those hardy few in this administration and bureaucracy that fought on, those in Congress (Reps. Royce, Wolf, Kelly, Sen. Leahy, Obama, Feingold etc.), and the press, who refused to let Taylor rest in peace. It finally paid off, at least this once. Evil did not triumph over good, something that is far too rare, especially in a region that has suffered as West Africa has suffered. I, personally, never believed this day would come. But it did, and Taylor is out of business. A good day indeed.
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
Wednesday December 13, 2006
Finally, Taylor In Hand
In an incredible stroke of luck, Nigerian policemen arrested fugitive Charles Taylor as he tried to cross by land into Cameroon. According to eyewitness accounts, he was wearing a white safari suit, driving a Landrover with diplomatic plates and had bags full of dollars in the trunk. He made it through the immigration check point, but was stopped when trying to get through customs.
He was flown to Abuja, Nigeria, then put on a presidential jet to Roberts Field, Liberia. From there he should be flown to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where his cell is awaiting him, along with some of his cohorts in the murder and mayhem that he wreaked.
The arrest does not mitigate the gross negligence on the part of the Obasanjo government in letting Taylor operate with impunity from his estate in Calabar while in exile and then allowing him to escape. While Taylor's arrest may have salvaged Obasanjo's visit today with President Bush, it should not preclude a reevaluation of the close and dependent relationship the United States has developed with Nigeria's president, who has shown himself to be little better than his reviled predecessors who were international pariahs.
What has complicated the issue for Obasanjo, if one wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, which I am not sure he deserves, is that Taylor's financial power allowed him to ally himself with many of the most powerful and corrupt in Nigeria, including senior members of the government and perhaps even members of Obasanjo's own family.
Taylor's arrest may open the way for Obasanjo to begin cleaning house and take down some of the structures Taylor is participating in, including the widespread "bunkering" or theft of oil before it enters the official state system. But the ongoing, warm U.S. relationship with Obasanjo should be contingent on Obasanjo's willingness to tackle the entire corrupt structure that has choked the life from one of Africa's potentially most vibrant economies.
It is a good day for West Africa and those seeking to end the impunity that has ravaged the region for generations. It is a good day particularly for the thousands of victims of Taylor's wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea. The amputee victims, the rape victims and the child soldiers may now have at least a small measure of closure when the architect of their misery finally faces justice.
He was flown to Abuja, Nigeria, then put on a presidential jet to Roberts Field, Liberia. From there he should be flown to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where his cell is awaiting him, along with some of his cohorts in the murder and mayhem that he wreaked.
The arrest does not mitigate the gross negligence on the part of the Obasanjo government in letting Taylor operate with impunity from his estate in Calabar while in exile and then allowing him to escape. While Taylor's arrest may have salvaged Obasanjo's visit today with President Bush, it should not preclude a reevaluation of the close and dependent relationship the United States has developed with Nigeria's president, who has shown himself to be little better than his reviled predecessors who were international pariahs.
What has complicated the issue for Obasanjo, if one wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, which I am not sure he deserves, is that Taylor's financial power allowed him to ally himself with many of the most powerful and corrupt in Nigeria, including senior members of the government and perhaps even members of Obasanjo's own family.
Taylor's arrest may open the way for Obasanjo to begin cleaning house and take down some of the structures Taylor is participating in, including the widespread "bunkering" or theft of oil before it enters the official state system. But the ongoing, warm U.S. relationship with Obasanjo should be contingent on Obasanjo's willingness to tackle the entire corrupt structure that has choked the life from one of Africa's potentially most vibrant economies.
It is a good day for West Africa and those seeking to end the impunity that has ravaged the region for generations. It is a good day particularly for the thousands of victims of Taylor's wars in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Guinea. The amputee victims, the rape victims and the child soldiers may now have at least a small measure of closure when the architect of their misery finally faces justice.
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
Wednesday December 13, 2006
Pressure Mounts on Bush to Cancel Visit with Obasanjo
A growing bipartisan chorus in Congress is demanding that President Bush cancel his meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, with Nigerian president Obasanjo, given Obsanjo's complicity in the escape of Charles Taylor. I suppose it is a small price for Obasanjo to pay, temporary disgrace, for allowing a mass murderer and abettor of terrorism to walk away.
The best line of the day was provided by Obsanjo's spokesman,
Femi Fani-Kayode: "It was not for us to take him back," he said of Nigeria's failure to keep Taylor in custody. "The onus was on the Liberian government. He was a guest of ours, and you do not pick up your guests and take them anywhere." Whew, that clears it up! Seems to apply even if the guest has an outstanding indictment on 17 counts of crimes against humanity and Interpol arrest warrants.
Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif and leader of the movement to bring Taylor to justice, was the first to call on Bush to cancel tomorrow's informal summit. "Nigeria reportedly has let a mass murderer with alleged links to al-Qaeda slip out the back door. President Bush should cancel tomorrow’s scheduled meeting with President Obasanjo," Royce said. He also warned that any country that gave Taylor sanctuary would face serious sanctions.
Sen. Barak Obama, D-Illinois, and Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, joined the call. "There have been persistent questions about the level of security provided by the Nigerian government to ensure that Charles Taylor didn't haveunchecked ability to travel," said Smith. "As a result a warlord with ties to Al-Qaeda and terrorism is now on the loose."
Human Rights Watch says Mr Taylor's disappearance is a
"disgrace" and "brings into question President Obasanjo's commitment to peace and security for the people of West Africa, the reason he allegedly took Taylorin the first place."
The White House hinted it would drop the meeting. And State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters, "We have made it clear to the government of Nigeria that it has a special
responsibility to make sure that Charles Taylor is brought to justice." Let's see if the administration has the guts to stick to that.
The Obasanjo government has engaged in some bald-faced pervarications on the issue. Despite having received at least six months ago a detailed list of who Taylor was paying in the Nigerian public security forces, how much and when, Obasanjo chose to ignore the topic. Taylor was paying out close to $25,000 a month to the rotating security people, not counting what he was paying senior Nigerian security officials, to insure he could do exactly what he did-leave then the time came.
Now Obasanjo is "deeply shocked." Yes, and he will round up the usual suspects, form a committee to investigate, arrest all those involved (since he conveniently has the names already provided to him), and the casino will reopen and the gambling will begin again.
The best line of the day was provided by Obsanjo's spokesman,
Femi Fani-Kayode: "It was not for us to take him back," he said of Nigeria's failure to keep Taylor in custody. "The onus was on the Liberian government. He was a guest of ours, and you do not pick up your guests and take them anywhere." Whew, that clears it up! Seems to apply even if the guest has an outstanding indictment on 17 counts of crimes against humanity and Interpol arrest warrants.
Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif and leader of the movement to bring Taylor to justice, was the first to call on Bush to cancel tomorrow's informal summit. "Nigeria reportedly has let a mass murderer with alleged links to al-Qaeda slip out the back door. President Bush should cancel tomorrow’s scheduled meeting with President Obasanjo," Royce said. He also warned that any country that gave Taylor sanctuary would face serious sanctions.
Sen. Barak Obama, D-Illinois, and Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, joined the call. "There have been persistent questions about the level of security provided by the Nigerian government to ensure that Charles Taylor didn't haveunchecked ability to travel," said Smith. "As a result a warlord with ties to Al-Qaeda and terrorism is now on the loose."
Human Rights Watch says Mr Taylor's disappearance is a
"disgrace" and "brings into question President Obasanjo's commitment to peace and security for the people of West Africa, the reason he allegedly took Taylorin the first place."
The White House hinted it would drop the meeting. And State Department spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters, "We have made it clear to the government of Nigeria that it has a special
responsibility to make sure that Charles Taylor is brought to justice." Let's see if the administration has the guts to stick to that.
The Obasanjo government has engaged in some bald-faced pervarications on the issue. Despite having received at least six months ago a detailed list of who Taylor was paying in the Nigerian public security forces, how much and when, Obasanjo chose to ignore the topic. Taylor was paying out close to $25,000 a month to the rotating security people, not counting what he was paying senior Nigerian security officials, to insure he could do exactly what he did-leave then the time came.
Now Obasanjo is "deeply shocked." Yes, and he will round up the usual suspects, form a committee to investigate, arrest all those involved (since he conveniently has the names already provided to him), and the casino will reopen and the gambling will begin again.
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH
Tuesday December 19, 2006
In Choreographed Move, Taylor Escapes
In a stunning display of choreographed incompetence, the Nigerian government of president Obasanjo has let Charles Taylor slip away into the night. Nigeria, Liberia, the Bush administration and United Nations all bear a large dose of responsibility in the fiasco that will haunt the region for years.
So, a man who sold diamonds to al Qaeda, bankrolled weapons dealer Viktor Bout while Bout was selling weapons to the Taliban and wreaked havoc on an entire region, has flown from his gilded cage, where the money he stole from his raped and pillaged country was able to buy him freedom.
Despite being indicted on 17 counts of crimes against humanity, he enjoyed almost three years of relatively unfettered freedom in his exile home in Calabar. From his gilded cage in Calabar, where he paid his Nigerian "security guards" to let him continue his deadly meddling unabated, he has gone to some undisclosed location where his cash reserves in France, Switzerland and offshore structures will buy him more protection.
Like a bad novel, Taylor's escape was a foregone conclusion when Obasanjo suddenly announced that Liberia could come and get Taylor. Obasanjo, who now, in classic Big Man African fashion, is ordering an "investigation" into how Taylor escaped, withdrew all of the guards from Taylor's compound. It was a clear that was Taylor's signal to slip away. The U.S. did nothing but express alarm. The UN was paralyzed. The British ran for cover.
It matters little now what Bush says to Obasanjo after the two meet tomorrow. Obsanjo's "investigation," when he had been warned months ago, with specific names, of the senior people in his security structure that Taylor was paying off, is a rather poor joke. The horse is so far gone, the barn door so far open, that there is really nothing to say. Obasanjo should be embarassed to show his face, but he is not. Bush should shun him, but he probably will not.
The White House has been paralyzed by internal disputes over how and if Taylor should be extradited. NSC Africa chief Cindy Courville has consistantly blocked more expeditious moves wanted by the State Department and others, in part because of Taylor's past ties to the U.S. intelligence community.
Now, Taylor is free to continue his particular brand of mayhem, which has led to the abduction of thousands of children into brutal rebel armies, the amputation of the arms and legs of thousands of civilians and the systematic rape of tens of thousands of women. The culture of impunity that has left Africa a wasteland is perpetuated. U.S. rhetoric on establishing justice and the rule of law ring hollow. Staunch U.S. ally Obasanjo has proved to be as up for sale as his predecesors.
It has to be one of the sorriest chapters in U.N., British and Nigerian supposed efforts to bring justice to the millions who have suffered at the hands of butchers like Taylor. And it sad day for West Africa, having to face the prospect of more murder and mayhem from the man who has done it all before.
So, a man who sold diamonds to al Qaeda, bankrolled weapons dealer Viktor Bout while Bout was selling weapons to the Taliban and wreaked havoc on an entire region, has flown from his gilded cage, where the money he stole from his raped and pillaged country was able to buy him freedom.
Despite being indicted on 17 counts of crimes against humanity, he enjoyed almost three years of relatively unfettered freedom in his exile home in Calabar. From his gilded cage in Calabar, where he paid his Nigerian "security guards" to let him continue his deadly meddling unabated, he has gone to some undisclosed location where his cash reserves in France, Switzerland and offshore structures will buy him more protection.
Like a bad novel, Taylor's escape was a foregone conclusion when Obasanjo suddenly announced that Liberia could come and get Taylor. Obasanjo, who now, in classic Big Man African fashion, is ordering an "investigation" into how Taylor escaped, withdrew all of the guards from Taylor's compound. It was a clear that was Taylor's signal to slip away. The U.S. did nothing but express alarm. The UN was paralyzed. The British ran for cover.
It matters little now what Bush says to Obasanjo after the two meet tomorrow. Obsanjo's "investigation," when he had been warned months ago, with specific names, of the senior people in his security structure that Taylor was paying off, is a rather poor joke. The horse is so far gone, the barn door so far open, that there is really nothing to say. Obasanjo should be embarassed to show his face, but he is not. Bush should shun him, but he probably will not.
The White House has been paralyzed by internal disputes over how and if Taylor should be extradited. NSC Africa chief Cindy Courville has consistantly blocked more expeditious moves wanted by the State Department and others, in part because of Taylor's past ties to the U.S. intelligence community.
Now, Taylor is free to continue his particular brand of mayhem, which has led to the abduction of thousands of children into brutal rebel armies, the amputation of the arms and legs of thousands of civilians and the systematic rape of tens of thousands of women. The culture of impunity that has left Africa a wasteland is perpetuated. U.S. rhetoric on establishing justice and the rule of law ring hollow. Staunch U.S. ally Obasanjo has proved to be as up for sale as his predecesors.
It has to be one of the sorriest chapters in U.N., British and Nigerian supposed efforts to bring justice to the millions who have suffered at the hands of butchers like Taylor. And it sad day for West Africa, having to face the prospect of more murder and mayhem from the man who has done it all before.
POSTED BY DOUGLAS FARAH