Charles Taylor

First he worked for former president of Liberia, Samuel Doe. Then he fled to the US when charged with embezzlement. Then he escaped from a Massachusetts jail. Then he went to Libya for training. He invaded Liberia and eventually (through years of civil war and brutality) became president in 1997. Then in 2003 he agreed to resign (under international pressure) and went to Nigeria.

When Liberian president Johnson-Sirleaf called for his arrest, he disappeared. Yesterday he was found near the Cameroonian border (with a trunk full of US cash). He was taken to Liberia, then flown to Sierra Leone, and now there are negotiations to take him to Holland to stand trial at the Hague.

Here's the story.

I'm still afraid for Liberia. There are people saying he shouldn't stand trial - that strange forgiveness-if-he-calls-upon-Jesus-cult there. Like Prince Yormie Johnson - who tortured and murdered Doe on TV and is now a senator in Liberia - WTF?! He needs to stand trial, as do so many others. Horrible atrocities were committed in the Liberian civil war, and they will happen again if the key players are not held accountable.

I simply do not believe that people who torture rape and murder personally and forcing children to do so (especially through establishing drug dependency) for them should be free again in this lifetime. Charles Taylor is an incredible snow-job agent - he has this incredible charisma and knows how to play the symbols just right. He didn't just snow Liberians - he does it all over the world. And he will destroy Liberia again if he has the chance.