Charles Taylor today called prosecution allegations that he was involved in ritual sacrifice and cannibalism “racist”. The accused former Liberian president also dismissed his trial as an extension of regime change policies of the United States and the United Kingdom.
Mr. Taylor spent a second day responding to the evidence of prosecution witness and former member of Mr. Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), Joseph Marzah. In his 2008 testimony, Witness Marzah (otherwise known as “Zig Zag” Marzah) alleged that he was present at Mr. Taylor’s residence when the former Liberian president buried a pregnant woman at the back of his house as a ritual sacrifice to obtain power in Liberia. Witness Marzah also testified that he feasted on human beings together with Mr. Taylor while he served as Chief of Operations for the NPFL.
A very angry Mr. Taylor today dismissed the allegations agaist him as being “racist.”
“It is not true. But you know, there is something deeper to this whole thing. I don’t care what the prosecution says but this is racist, it is as racist as it ever gets,” Mr. Taylor said in a very angry voice.
“All the murderous regimes of Europe throughout World War II coming on, nobody is eating human beings and burying pregnant women and being sadistic as this as an African. You go to Liberia and bring four uneducated people that never even went to the ninth grade, Moses Blah never went to the ninth grade, Vamunyan Sherif hardly went to school, Abu Keita hardly, and this other one that never entered a class room, never, cannot read, cannot write and you bring him here, and you have a president eating people and burying pregnant women, this is beyond racism, it shows bigotry, and that’s what this case is all about,” the former president said.
Mr. Taylor also vehemently denied allegations in Witness Marzah’s testimony that he (Taylor) gave orders for the execution of Superman, a Liberian commander of Sierra Leone’s rebel group Revolutionary United Front (RUF). Witness Marzah also said that based on Mr. Taylor instructions, Superman’s hand was cut off and his heart removed and taken to Mr. Taylor. Together with Mr. Taylor, they feasted on Superman’s heart, Witness Marzah said in his testimony.
Denying Witness Marzah’s allegations, Mr. Taylor today said that “there was no hand, no nothing taken to my house. I am not aware of how Superman was killed, when or how. It is not true.”
Mr. Taylor further denied allegations made by Witness Marzah in his 2008 testimony that he ordered the execution of certain members of the RUF, such as commanders Sam Bockarie and Daniel Tamba (otherwise known as “Jungle”), and Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) chairman Johnny Paul Koroma. [The AFRC overthrew the government of Sierra Leonean president Ahmed Tejan Kabbah in 1997 and formed an alliance with the RUF. The AFRC/RUF alliance was forcefully removed from power by West African peacekeepers in 1998. Mr. Taylor is accused of supporting both the RUF and AFRC through the supply of arms and ammunition in return for Sierra Leone’s diamonds]. In his testimony today, Mr. Taylor denied killing Mr. Koroma.
“This is a lie,” he said. “Johnny Paul Koroma, not to my knowledge, never entered Liberia. But as this case proceeds, most of the individuals mentioned here will come forward and give the real story.”
Responding to Witness Marzah’s claim that Mr. Taylor executed the Sierra Leonean rebels in order to cover any trace of his links with the RUF, Mr. Taylor said “to cover it from what? That will be total nonsense and only a sick mind will suggest that.”
Mr. Taylor in his testimony, also told the judges today that his trial is part of a wave of regime change policies by western powers especially the United States and Great Britain.
“I did know that certain countries like the United States and United Kingdom were against me and were seeking regime change in Liberia. I am brought here by Britain and America,” Mr. Taylor said. “At this particular time in the world when there was Iraq and regime change, it was good to go into Africa, snatch one little leader from a small country, let’s set an example of him to show there is no impunity.”
“Listen, there is nothing that is just about this, I have no control over it, I am going through it, and I will go through it. There is nothing legal about this,” Mr. Taylor said. “Until I go to my grave, there is nothing just about this. The big powers have executed their powers, they have brought me here.”
Mr. Taylor denied other allegations by Witness Marzah that he (Taylor) order that the NPFL and RUF to subject civilians to sexual violence and forced labour. He also denied giving orders to kill and eat the members of the Krahn tribe in Liberia, or to kill United Nations and West African peacekeepers. Mr. Taylor further denied supplying arms and ammunition to rebel forces in Sierra Leone.
Mr. Taylor called Witness Marzah’s entire testimony a “complete set-up and it is as programmed as this.”
Mr. Taylor’s testimony continues tomorrow.
“Moses Blah never went to the ninth grade”
why did Mr Taylor make him VP?
He was made VP, because that position was allocated to NPFL Special Forces, of which Blah was a member. Mr. Blah was recommended by the Special Forces to replace the late VP Dogolea. Mr. Taylor had no choice, but to obey the organization (NPL/NPP) guidelines.
Regards
Harris K Johnson
curious,
To answer your question directly, Taylor selected Moses Blah because he is a man of his word. He kept his promise. Did you forget? Taylor made a compact, if you may, with the majority group of the special forces, the nimba members, that if they succeeded they would have the vice presidency, that is how Enoch Dogolea became vice president to Taylor. So when he passed, Taylor kept his word and selected another member of the majority group, this time Moses Blah. That is the history.
The vice presidency does not require an academic criterium. So his level of education would not be so material to the selection process. Remember John Major who lead England, he did not have academic credentials.
So to my understanding there is no educated nimba members but moses Blah
uneducated?
Saw,
Your answer depends on what you think education is. There are thousands of educated people from Nimba County.But Mr. Blah was placed in a leadership position by his people. I have never heard of a school that train students to become president or vice president. Leaders are always chosen by their people who mandate them to lead.
Regards
Harris K Johnson
Just SPEECHLESS!!!!…..Eating human heart??
Wow! What a revelation made at todays tesimony of September 30th. All along the Sierra Leonean national anthem has been that Charles Taylor said on the BBC that ” Sierra Leone would taste the bitterness of war ” We today find out that Charles Taylor never uttered those words. I have been wondering why the prosecution never played an audio of that BBC interview. Now we all know why. Because it never existed. You have had several witnesses for the prosecution say under oath that they heard that statement from Mr. Taylor. How can these witnesses now be considered credible?
Aki,
If I will speak Kpelleh, our people say “vi-na-va-fi” meaning, it is not there, can not be given. How would Mr. Rapp play this audio when it was never stated by Mr. Taylor as alleged. It is only John Thompson’s court of justice that consider these witness credible.
Regards
Harris K Johnson
In Mr. Taylor testimony today, he was asked about Marzah claim that he and Mr. Taylor ate human remains in the Poro Sociaty bush, and that members of the poro sociaty do eat human parts. Look I can tell you out front that that is a caculated lies because I am a member of the Poro sociaty. I joined the Poro Sociaty in January of 1975 in Bensonville, Liberia and at no point have I seen anyone eating human parts as part of the requirements.
The Poro Sociaty is a traditional school where young boys are sent to learned how to respect people who are older than them. Learn how to take care of your family, make peace among people of different back ground, towns and villages. That’s one of the reasons why many Liberians are usually saying that the Kpelle people are Stupid.
Because in the poro sociaty bush, you are told that, no matter what someone does to you, you should make peace with them which show that you’re a better person than the problems between your!
The part that they talk about secret is only to scared people who are not member to have a better behavior. But as far as eating human parts, I have never seen that at all! Even pastors are member of the poro sociaty.
The late William R. Tolbert Jr was a member. Rev. Martin R. Fegans of Bensonville was the Chairman of the Poro Sociaty in Bensonville and Todee back in the days, they didn’t eat human parts as requirements! So for marzah to come in this court room and say all these things is very very sick!!! I don’t this guy is living at all, he’s partly dead for God sake!!!
The requirement I know of is the mark you have to have on your back or your chest that’s it! And I do have those mark on my back as well. Infact, alot of mandingos people lives were safe during the war in Liberia because they were members of the poro sociaty simple as that. So marzah, you need to tell the true as once to save yourself and the prosecution the shame in the face of the World!
Another point, Charles Taylor we know will take a man like Marzah who doesn’t know how to read and write to be his chief of operations for three Countries? Is he ( Marzah ) going nuts? Where were all the educated people who had connection with Mr. Taylor? Mr. Taylor may have been born at night but not lastnight to be that stupid my people!
Even where he (Marzah ) said that Mr. Taylor order the killing of Sam Bockarie is not true!! Like I said few weeks ago, I was recently in Liberia and I was fortunate enough to have talked to a Cousin of mine who was part of the Task force set up to arrest Bockarie, if he should step foot on the Liberian soil with arms and ammunitions to fight in Sierra Leone. I am telling you, he is ready and willing to testify at the ICC.
He told me that, Mr. Taylor order Bockarie to be arrested. So when Bockarie arrived at the Ivory Coast- Liberian border with a large number of fighters who were arm to their teeth. They the Liberian security forces asked Bockarie to disarm his men and report to Mr. Taylor in Monrovia. Instead of him disarming his men, he order them to open fired on the Liberian security forcess killing 18 of them. At that point, they had no choice but to fight for their own lives and it was during this fire Bockarie got killed.
This my cousin got shot by Bockarie on his upper right arm in that fire fight. In the NPFL, my cousin was called COL. morden War. I am sure Marzah knows him. I even talk to General Chris Vambo who happened to be an Uncle to my fiance I went to visit in Liberia. I mean, I don’t really want to call names here but it’s hard to hold back when you know people who know the true and were part of it and hear someone telling lies!
Well Mr. Taylor, there are better days ahead and we are waiting to hear from those 200 plus witnesses who are going to testify for you!
Sometimes i wonder, why will any level headed person listing or even believe a mad man like zigzag mazdan or however he calls himself. Even the sierra leoneans i’m sure are amazed at zigzag’s madness of lies, i’m from grand cape mount county western liberia bordering sierra leone. the poro society that is pratice in liberia amount the vai, mendi,gola, mendi lorma kissi and kpelleh, is similar the the one pratice in sierra leone by the mendi and vai, i have never heald about eating human flesh or even killing someone for ritualistic purposes. the poro society is thought young men how to live with each other and family respect for the earlderly, it is good that zigzag is confessing cause he is on the list of first indictees for war crime in liberia. no no no zigzag you are not yet free please keep talking cause your lies will lead you to your doom.
VJ
This time it is Great Britain and the USA that wanted a regime change and that is why he is sitting on trial,and that his own hand picked VP Moses Blah along with witness Marzah are un educated, but you Taylor chosed these caracters and allow them to witness all your misdeals and now they have confessed and you must deal with it.frankly their revelations seems more creditable.
Oh my god ziggy !!!
welcome back. Did you travel? Actually, we haven’t got a vague comment for a while, and here you are again with a new entry.Brother, mazah is mascurading false claims,never an insider,..this guy was hiding in the forest, very mad and eating every human he came across.. Ziggy, you better run from marzah any where you see him. that gio boy eats any living thing.
Ziggy longtime no hear. I was wondering if you havejoinedus and have been converted at last into a Taylor sympathiser however this your latest post shows you have reverted to your former views. welcome back.
Anyway, you should know that Moses Blah needs the prosecution money to pay for his medical bills and the Zigzag man is mad. so we cannot take their testimonies seriously.
Sorry guys I have been away for a while because I was ill.
This Zig-zag Marzah man is a psychopath, a total lunatic and it is a great disgrace that this Court even allowed a man of this type to testify and even admit to killing pregnate women and eating humans. How on earth in this day and age can a man like this be accomodated to come here and testify under oath to these heinous crimes that behest even the most twisted of audiences? This man should never have been allowed to associate with sane human beings; but then again the rules same to be different when it comes to prosecuting Mr Taylor.
The prosecution are so anxious to nail Mr. Taylor that they will do a deal with the devil himself. What a shock! The very notion that some man will come here and say that he a very very junior soldier would be in some strategic position and that on top of that is supposed to be eating an meal of human flesh with Taylor is shocking to say the least. This is just to show us that the west still sees Africans as canibals.
This is a sure sign of racism as Taylor said. Everytime they dislike an African leader they come up with ways of saying that the person eats human flesh. What sheer stupidity? If anyone ate humans it is the Europeans in the very early centuries when they lived in caves. Africans had civilization and societies when they were running around as savages.; however all of a sudden we as Africans are supposed to be the ones eating humans. What happened during the crusades? the Europeans ate the Muslims’ hearts as a means of getting power. This is their way of doing things not an intrinsic African thing.
It is unfortunate that us as Africans do not see through these people when they try to degegate us to such a low ebb as to be classed as Canibals. Some may think it is Taylor they are disgracing but they forget that he represented the seat of leadership and if they can succeed in degrading our keaders, they have degraded us the people.
Where in the world do people in the Poro Society eat humans as a ritual? This is all because these people want to put us down as black people. To them black people are supposed to be uneducated, stupid, uncivilized and canabals. I will say as Taylor like to say “TOTAL NONSENSE”.
Helen,
Glad to see you are back. I hope you are much recovered. I believe everyone here missed you including our honorable friends across the divide.
Helen,
Sorry to hear you were ill. Hope all is well now but don’t worry we have been holding the forte against the people who want to see Mr. Taylor convicted without sufficient evidence.
Helen,
So sorry to hear that. Hope you are back on you feet and doing you little thing.. ha.. ha.
Helen glad to see you back. Hope you are now OK. We missed your comprehensive rebuttals.
The great man is only remember after his time, one day african and liberian will see who is the devil, Mr. Taylor or the western countries. God bless Charles Taylor.
VJ
sorry mistyped ‘shocked’ and put ‘behest’ in the first paragraph. Error.
The Prosecution case is becoming more and more ridiculous day by day.There testimony seems to have come from the samll beer bar, where locals and foreigners get drunk, and talk all sort of things.
I am sorry for Mr Taylor, because the West appointed the Prosecutors and the West appointed the Judges as well
John!!!
You suond so nice, sorry, no offence. Which john are you please?? I do not want to mix you with the other john please.. there is some other bad john in this forum…tell me please..
Noko5! There may be a John with a differing opinion to yours, but I must object — there is no “bad john” in this forum!
Best,
Tracey
sorry tracey
Noko5 — it’s okay. Don’t worry. I know you didn’t mean it badly.
Look forward to your continued comments, Noko5!
Best,
Tracey
Tracey,
The trial is offline this morning. Could you do something immediately?
thanks.
Hi Andrew — let me try to find out what happened this morning. Will revert when I know.
Best,
Tracey
Tracey,
I know how preposterous it is asking you to take action on something that is completely out of your hands. Secondly we are thousands of miles apart. But appreciate our frustration when the trial is offline. Here in america, I get up 5am local time to begin viewing the morning session. That might be like 9 0r 10 am greewich mean time. So when the trial goes off in mid session, it is frustrating.
Hi Andrew — yes I understand absolutely how frustrating it is – and how tired you must be from waking up that early!
I spoke with Alpha yesterday about the trial going into closed or private session unexpectedly and without announcement. That sometimes happens because of the time delay on the streaming (30 minutes) and when one of the lawyers — either defense or prosecution — raises an objection to the testimony because, for instance, it could impact security concerns of a witness. If the Judges uphold the objection, then they will order that that portion of the evidence be redacted from the records. In that case, by the time it gets to 30 minutes when that portion of the proceedings should go to the public via the live stream, the system will just be automatically blocked without notice in order to protect confidential information. The public might not even hear the order in this case because it is 30 minutes delayed. After that portion is past, whether for 10, 20 or 30 minutes as the case may be, the live stream will be made available to the public again. This is what happened yesterday, for instance, with Mr. Taylor’s testimony.
I’m not sure there is anything we can do about that, unfortunately — but do let me know if there is something specific you think we can assist with. Happy to help if we can.
Best,
Tracey
Tracey,
Thanks. Just alert Mr. Moriba that at times there are lenghty interruptions to the feed apart from the private session. We understand the buffer or delay, but the interruptions might be technical.
Thanks as usual.
Andrew – of course – happy to alert Mr. Moriba.
Best,
Tracey
Noko4
Did you attend st.mary’s high school in Duala?
Yes John……from K1 thru 6 grade; when it was only ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
This idea of Western( America and Britain) conspiracies against taylor is cheap and sounds like an excuse plead from taylor in order to rally Africans against the West in order to drown the real charges of rapes, sexual slavery, force labour,and etc..he faces! Why will the West bring you to justice if you were bringing developments to your people and encouraging and promoting justice and fair play in the first place?
Taylor sounds like Mugabe who also claims Western conspiracies against him after damaging the economy of his country! No, there is no Western Conspiracies here, except few of your loyalists believe this! The United Nations monitored what you were doing all along but you were too blind to see it coming! Answer to the charges against the People of Sierra Leone and stop this cheap blaming of the West!
Fallah,
Stop pulling our legs. The double standard and deceit are glaring. Point blank glaring. Here is the scenario, you encouraged Taylor to destroy all weapons from the demobilization program. In good faith he complies. Then LURD attacks, but you reinforce sanctions, and refused to allow the man to acquire arms to void the attacks. Later we discover that you are arming LURD to bring arms to Liberia that is not allowed to import arms officially.
But we are on our way back to regain our country. Thanks to Rapp and Hollis for doing a good job with this fairytale case.
andrew jlay
I think Mr. Taylor is heading down a slippery road by expressing his opinion about the “regime change” and “racism”. If this was a jury of his peer, these comments may have added to the unprecedented actions the UN imposed while Mr. Taylor was in office, but his jury consist of judges. I think some of Mr. Taylor comments might cause a “boy who cried woof” affect on the judges. Mr. Taylor needs to practice restraint because while under cross, slippage of this caliber will get him in trouble.
Al-Solo Nyonteh,
I concur. I believe his comportment has humble to the honorable judges and it should remain so. Ranting in that manner is risky because some of the judges might be sensitive to it and it could weigh againts him at deliberation. Agreed. I believe Griffiths would discuss this observation with Taylor especially so when they have this long break.
Great observation. There is some window of opportunity to seize here.
Tracey,
What is wrong with my post? I did not see it.
Regards
Harris K Johnson
Harris — I am sorry but I didn’t receive a post from you that I haven’t approved – I just checked through the comments and even the spam box. Apologies for the inconvenience — would you mind resubmitting? There must be a little glitch — Jocone mentioned the same problem yesterday. I will talk to our tech people about it and see if there is a techincal problem on our end.
Very best,
Tracey
Its okay Tracey, these things happen. I would have repost has Helen not address the issue. Have a nice day.
Regards
Harris K Johnson
Thanks, as always, for your understanding, Harris. I have also asked our tech people to look into it. Have a lovely day also.
Best,
Tracey
I think the racism discussion is an interesting one. I completely see why some of these claims could be construed as having a racist connotation. I think many western interventions in different places — particularly Africa– has had (and has) a dark shade of racism clinging to them.
At the same time, however, the claims of cannibalism this trial were made by a fellow Liberian, not an American or a Brit. I saw this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmrkTi3EHqk some time ago. I’d be interested in hearing people’s comments on it. The cannibalism among the rebels is pretty explicit here but does that mean that Taylor endorsed it? He says no in the film…
Were fighters of Mr. Taylor Jakob??? Or because you saw ‘REBELS” meant Mr. Taylor??
Jakob,
Over the last 19 years comtemporary liberians have lived with the accounts of cannibalism. Most of these reports spread through rumors. There was no eye witness account or written account from an official source. Since the PRC revolutions, the reports have been more prevalent. The most infamous was account that the late General Quiwonkpa was cannibalized.
Whatever the situation, cannibalism is not unique to the Liberian scenario. There is account of cannibalism during biblical times. Even in parts of Europe and Asia there have been accounts of historical and present day cannibalism. There are varying reasons for the practice. some claim that it enables embolden spirit to wage war, others claim it demoralizes the enemy, still some say it drives sexual urge and other do it just on consensual basis. In some cultures it is not a crime. The perpetrators may be charge for alleged murder but not prosecuted for the practice itself.
Mr. Taylor has not been a cannibalist and he is not. The practice seen in the video is not despicably unique to Liberians. It is regrettable and despised as it was resent from historical times.
I think I remembered zig-za mazah When LURD forces attacked Gbarnga and I left Phebe to seek refuge in Totota.This gentlemen was on the highway beating civilians,harrasing, going as far as eating human on the highway.Becuse of my color, I was told by my friends to be in hiding areas.Yes, Mr. Taylor I agreed with you that this canibal did not not ever sat in a class room.
Was it Taylor that ordered him to kill people and eat human being between Totota and Felela?
This fool will not go free for the innocent blood he wasted!!!
God be with you Mr. Taylor, some of us witnessed and remained in this country untill the war got over.I did not take part in the passed war, or joined Taylor’s NPFL.
so we are closely following the trial of you, Mr. Taylor.This is happening becuse ”THEY” don’t want to see you in power(alive).
It is sadden and unthinkable that some Africans in their right minds would believe that Mr. Taylor, as a president would sit and eat human flash along with a body guard to one of his seniors security commanders. I can beat my chest and challenge Marzah to name one living soul that sat along with him and Mr. Taylor on that dining table while feasting on human flash. I was in Liberia during the entire war and I know Mr. Taylor very well. Marzah was no where close to me not even to talk about Mr. Taylor. You guys can go ahead and believe all that was said about Mr. Taylor, but don’t forget that we are coming in full with the real side of these make up stories of Mr. Rapp and his likes.
Regards
Harris Kortu Johnson
I don’t understand Taylor, if Moses Blah didn’t go to the 9th grade why did he make him vice president. Now I know Taylor is educated because he got his B.S. at Bentley College in Massachussetts, USA. Taylor himself must not be too smart because he surrounded himself with uneducated people.
And this is the same Blah who was in charge of the country for a short period of time. What a disgrace, a big disgrace, and you have people supporting Taylor. Tell me what president in the world with an education will appoint someone with hardly any education to run a country in his absense. Such foolish decisions is what got him where he’s at right now.
Folks lets keep the comments short and not speeches you’re losing your point or audience when the comment is too long, perhaps breaking it down into different sub-topics might help.
John Thompson,
Did you listen to Moses Blah’s testimony? or have you read the transcript of his testimony? then you will know that it was not Mr Taylor that appointed Moses Blah as President for two months infact Mr Taylor was against him taking over but he had to concurr to the majority decision at the time that Moses Blah should take over briefly. Refer to the Transcript of 14th – 21st May, 2008 containing Moses Blah’s testimony.
This shows that you Taylor haters are doinig every thing within your means to demonize him and present him as a dictator, an authoritarian and a ruthless warmonger but the REAL Taylor is nothing of such. he tries to consult widely before he acts and that accounts for his continued popularity in Liberia even today. He fought a war YES but he is popular because he fought a necessary war. did Sekou Conneh not start another war in Liberia? but tell me is he popular today? the answer is NO! during the last election he got less than 1% fo the vote. why did Liberians not vote for him out of fear as you anti-taylor people claim in Taylor’s case in 1997 when he won over 75% of the votes?
John,
What is education to you,you mean attending school? Please help us here.
Harris K Johnson
good question harris!!!
Harris, its sad if your definition of education is different, well to me education means getting formally educated, yes attending some form of academic institution or learning institute. And don’t try to twist it, you know what Taylor meant when he said Blah didn’t go to 9th grade. I’m sure taylor didn’t mean the 9th grade of “whatever” you want to call it. I’m sure Taylor meant going to some form of academic institute, for example, high school. Thats the only place I know one might be reffering to when they talk about education.
Is there a 9th grade in college or trade schools, I don’t think so buddy but I need to know your defination of education.
Thompson,
Your defination of education reads to me like you just came from drinking palm wine or gbayoko; my man, if really serious to know what education means, go to google and put it your searh window. Please stop bothering harris. That is not what are at this site for.
Thompson,
You see you are not educated as you think. Academic Institutions are not the only source of education. My grand father was educated in the kpelleh poro bush and became one of the greatest leaders of his people in Lofa County. noko5 has answered your doubt in simple English, and I agree with noko5. Please relate to him if you need more explication on this subject. My brother, before you speak, remember that there is always someone a step ahead of you and another below you. Shine your eyes…yah?
Regards
Harris K. Johnson
Ohh Thompson, i would rather be lead by an uneducated and wise leader than the present so call highly educated fools. selfish and greedy blood sucker who only plan is to loot liberia of it wealth.
VJ
Today in court, Mr. Taylor mentioned about a gentleman who was a deputy or some kind of body guard to Sankoh when he was arrested in Ivory Coast. According to Mr. Taylor, he has in his possesion STATEMENTS and LETTERS from this gentleman that CLEARLY clear up some of the HEARSAYS in this court.
But here’s the amazing part, the statements and letters from this man were amongst the documents the prosecutors handed over to the defense. Yes, the prosecutors had these and NEVER EVER both to bring in this gentleman in this court….WHY??? We saw this same game played out with the RUF SALUTE REPORT and the RUF MANIFESTO.
I am NOT a lawyer but isn’t it the work of a prosecutor to also FREE THE INNOCENTS??? I hope the defense can get him to testify to his statements.
Noko4, he’s probably a witness the prosecutor doesn’t want to take a chance with, remember the prosecutor is also trying to win his case, it is up to Taylor’s lawyer to get that witness in the stands if he feels the witness can damage the prosecutor’s case.
Noko5, did my definition of education help clearified any concerens you might have pertaining to the defination of education. The reason I asked because you told Harris it was a good question. What’s your definition of education may I ask?
John Thompson,
We have two good lawyers here with this soros charity. Ask their opinion if you are not aware of anything legal and I am sure Tracey and Alpha won’t hesitate assisting.
Now who told you that the prosecution tries to win case. The prosecution establishes precedents in defense of the law by pursuing the truth. If the truth leads to the exoneration of the defendant, so be it the prosecution must concede. Ask Tracey, or I will ask her to elaborate on this for us.
okay? If on the other hand the mindset here is to win a case then we understand this case is a fracras.
THOMPSON*
I will give you a short one; To aquire knowledge, be it formal or informal; I told harris his question was good because, I observe he was brain teasing you. The idea of trying to condemn Blah because of his schoolastic starndards just doesn’t hold waters.
Isn’t it the goal of any lawyer to win his or her case, and if a witness might be a treat to winning won’t you take the witness off. Tracey if you are license with a bar association please give me a formal answer.
Hi John — thanks for your question. Can I get a proper answer to you in the coming days? I also owe an answer to Noko4 on travel bans and assets freezes.
Best,
Tracey
Tracey,
Did the court set specific standards or requirements, for witnesses qualifications? If so, which of those would ZIZAH MAZAH fit into? Could you please tell us criterials that were set …. if any
Thanks for the question, Noko5. Will get the answer to you over the recess.
Best,
Tracey
Noko 5, thank goodness you have Google to get your defination of eduction from but my definition was pertaining to the statement Taylor made, how do you interpret Taylor’s statment when he said Blah didn’t finish 9th grade.
I think Taylor meant a formal education such as high school, but I’ll let you think about that.
Thompson,
I live in an environment where information technology is accessable. Also I believe in taking advantage when something is available; Trust me , it is good to minimumly use
your energy for maximum productivity.
Man oh man… Reading some of these comments against taylor is making me laugh… Fallah is always of topic, he has nothing to add to this case. He is always talking about wat Taylor did in Liberia or wat Taylor did in the early 90’s… News flash fallah, this trial is not about liberia or the early 90’s… Someone on here made a comment before that nothing is kept secret in Liberia. All one needs to do is go ask around in liberia and they will tell u everything the witnesses are saying is a comple lie… I mean come man… And by fallah being out of th country for soooo long, he is clueless as to wat really went on in Liberia… Sry fallah. But this case is about FACTS and we have not seen any from the prosecutors….
Jonh thompson talked about lawers wanting to win cases… John T. Let me ask u this… Dnt u think that if the prosecutors had concrete evidence such as the “bank accounts” the body burried at white flower, recordings or even photos, dnt u think that knowing that will seal the deal and win the case, they will produce those evidence?????
I could really care less about charles taylor but this is beyond him.. This is about the west thinking they can flex their big muscles on poor little africa… NON SENSE
So taylor and his supporters now refers to ZigZag and Blah as uneducated. These people for years were in Taylor’s employment with very high positions. When he used them to carry out his dirty deals, they were good enough for him whilst the rest of us referred to them and the rest of the deadful commanders who pillage and destroyed towns and villages as “Rebel”.
Taylor is now realising the pain and suffering he and other warlords brought upon many families by arming and sometimes giving these individuals money and power. As long as ZigZag and his kind were coming to their CHIEF with “good news”, they were good enough to carry out their barbarity. Call him a dropout is not going to help taylor. If taylor had sacked him before leaving power, maybe that would have made sense but Taylor kept him to the last minute. He sudden realise the uneducation of Marzah in prison, what a cheap shot.
I think the judges will be incline to accept Zizga testimony instead of Taylor’s.
Eagle-eye(returns)
The NPFL like all organization that is willing to overthrown the government with force has two main elements, administration element and military element. The Special Forces that was train in Libyan, that has college degrees was place in high position in administration when Mr. Taylor won the Presidency. The less or uneducated people remain as the military elements, which this is common in army around the world.
Mr. Taylor had many highly educated people around him and in his government. Mr. Blah may have been one of the under educated person in a high position in government. Because of the NPFL military elements requesting and receiving the vice president position when the group won the war and election, could be why he became Vice President. The first vice president under Mr. Taylor government what was his educational background?
I myself assumed that Mr. Blah was a highly educated person because he was Vice President, but now hearing that he was not and the arraignment that Mr. Taylor and the NPFL fighters made about the vice president position, this sound to be true. Mr. Taylor made the point that Mr. Blah never went to the ninth grade, which is something that can be easily proven, if it was not true.
Mr. Taylor has said he was not a military person. Therefore, he could not directly lead the military elements of the NPFL. Mr. Taylor while in Libyan said he was train to run a government after a war and the personal that was going to fight was train in fighting a war.
All uneducated persons that is being talk about and the prosecution brought to court as insiders are all from a military element. They do not know anything about the working of Mr. Taylor government. Mr. Blah even said he did not know anything about the working of Mr. Taylor government and he was Vice President. How would bodyguards and someone else bodyguard be classified as insiders to a president.
Ken, well said. very well. But I’m sad for your lateness. Why you and others didn’t come up early? Anyways, I appreciate your lateness. Better late than never. Please don’t stop, until our country is redemptive.
Wow! Charlie crying racism? That’s new!! I guess if tyranny is a race, then you can call me a racist too. Hey Charlie, you’re not a victim of anything. You’re a criminal. The African continent is replete with gangsters like you, and that’s why almost every country on that continent has regressed for decades. I applaud Western nations for stepping in and trying to save us from ourselves. Charlie, you should applaud them for giving you the chance to tell your stories [or your lies]. Hundreds of thousands of Liberians and Sierra Leoneans died and thousands are living with severed limbs, as a direct result of your criminal activities in West Africa. They were not given the same chance that you are now—to sit in that courtroom and cry foul. I think your sense of reality is somehow distorted. You truly believe that you should still be in Monrovia with your henchmen, driving your Hummers and Mercedes Benzes. I’m glad you’re still thinking that way because it will hit you very hard when that prison door slams shut.
Racism??? Of all the stupidest things you’ve said, this one stands out. I wish that when you are convicted, the court sentences you to Liberian Street Justice. You owe us the right to beat you like market dog.
“You go to Liberia and bring four uneducated people that never even went to the ninth grade, Moses Blah never went to the ninth grade, Vamunyan Sherif hardly went to school, Abu Keita hardly, and this other one that never entered a class room, never, cannot read, cannot write and you bring him here, and you have a president eating people and burying pregnant women, this is beyond racism, it shows bigotry, and that’s what this case is all about,”
In these statements alone it is clear why the war in Liberia and Sierra Leonne proliferated to the extent they did and Taylor hit it on the nail by pointing the finger and forgot to realize 5 more were pointing back at him.
To use an anecdote of “uneducated people” of Liberia and have that be the culprit to why he is on trial and furthermore attempt to call it racist reflects so much about Taylor, and others who were lucky enough to be “educated” and thus usurp most of the power in Liberia. People fail to realize that passing the ninth grade or earning a degree from Harvard does not alone make you suitable to lead a nation. It certainly does not make you a person clean of bigotry or ignorance, it does however allow you the skill to manipulate the minds and thinking of those not privy to the same knowledge base that you may have been privy to.
On that note, Mr. Taylor stop blaming the US and Britain and regime change for why you are at trial. It is your thinking that you are one tiny leader in one tiny country that actually cushioned alot of your thinking that perhaps you were off the radar of international justice and thus could get away with whatever you chose. You seriously think that the US cares enough to devote time about one tiny little person place or thing if there isnt something larger and monstrous going on? Iraq was not just about Hussein as it has been made clear now. Similarly the problem of Sierra Leonne and Liberia, as much as you would like to think it’s about you, it’s more about the monstrous abuse of power some African leaders in general have exercised at the expense of EDUCATING these illiterate people you are now pointing the blame at; the screwed up thinking being its better to keep them uneducated so that they may never someday see the light and challenge you.
Perhaps if you spent more time providing public education for these people and not throwing money here and there to help RUF or show them a good time in Liberia during an all out war, then maybe these same illiterate people wouldnt even have the time to deal with your immoral behavior and accuse you of anything…
It is this same thinking, coupled with unequal opportunities and the major thought that being educated or *gasp* having ancestry from former slaves in America somehow made you a moral and better human being than someone who hasn’t passed the ninth grade or was indigenous to the land we call the Republic of Liberia today.
Thanks Mr. Taylor for pointing those five fingers at yourself and once again for failing to uphold a strong African institution on the continent. You are merely the example, it is my hope that you have also helped to point the fingers at others as well, but you are surely not innocent. Your crime is clear in those you choose to lay blame on.
“At this particular time in the world when there was Iraq and regime change, it was good to go into Africa, snatch one little leader from a small country, let’s set an example of him to show there is no impunity.”
My goodness Taylor to think that you’re “one little leader” . Little you. Poor you. Get over it. Again here you are blaming America, but didnt you also claim that it was America that helped free you from their jails and sent you back to Liberia for this “regime change”….
It’s frustrating to think that whenever someone is being brought to justice for human rights abuses not cannibalism but widespread use of soldiers under the age of 15…its the West against Africa. Get over it! And start doing the right thing, b/c the West didnt tell you to use children in this war.
Concerned citizen in the U.S, as another Concerned citizen in the U.S, your post summarized everything i wanted to say, couldn’t say said before etc…Taylor was the one who choose Blah as his V.P running mate, and he has the audocity to make a such a statement. If that is the case than i ask, Mr. Taylor why did you choose an uneducated Liberian to be your V.P?
I can breath a sign of relief after reading your posting that there are Liberians not only in Liberia but all over the world who are concerned with Justice not only for Liberia but for Sierra Leone. Maybe our own saors makes us cry out for justice, maybe many of us see justice in Sierra Leone as justice for Liberia, I certainly do, and I’m not ashame to say it.
Concerned Liberian in the US, Kartoe,
I believe it is important to put this trial into perspective. The issue at hand is not a debate in support of, or against Taylor. The issue as you and I are aware is whether Taylor stands accountable for the accusations levied against him as contained in the 11 count indictment.
However your respective honorable post above seem not to address any of the issues that are object to this case. My impression of your comments is that you have disdain for Taylor and you dwell triviality. The issues that you passionately addressed are not unique to Taylor. Poverty rate in Liberia is 80% and literacy rate is 15% or 85% illiteracy rate. These have been the figure when I was a child some half a century ago. And I believe they would be the same another two centuries from now. Do you think those figures are accidents? Leaders who demonstrate clear visions to lift their people out of dungeons of poverty are usually eliminated. You forgot how Tolbert was eliminated? Tolbert had joined the NAM(non-align movement), established diplomatic ties with mainland china, planned to stop the importation of american parboiled rice because liberia was producing enough local rice.
Like Tolbert, Taylor stopped the monopoly over our maritime funds by ITC, revised the firestone contract, refused mobil one-sided bid to take over Liberia petroleum industry. Did you read the blackmail account that if Taylor allowed mobil doors would open to Liberia with IMF AND WORLD BANK. Yes, that is the new criterium to be awarded world bank and imf funds.
And what is interesting is how you guys play blinds eyes on these glaring issues. Do you believe this trial is about the life, of Taylor, ordinary liberians or the behavior of african leaders? You and I know this trial is about the political, economic and security and international interest of america and the west.
If the interest here was to uphold international laws, those who committed human rights violations in Iraq would have been on trial by now. But they hardly bring their own to trial that is why they have not ratified the icc charter.
Look brother, let stop.
Concerned Liberian In The U.S.
Job well done for summary of events in Liberia and the break down of why taylor is being brought to face crimes against Humanity, especially for conflicts in Sierra Leone. You did very well giving insights of neglect of basics for the people by taylor and now a cry of racism by the West against him!
What a shame for this guy who is now blaming the illitrate generals that helped carry out the atrocities against civilian population under his command! It makes one to wonder what level of litracy he taylor has in the first place when he was surrounded by these ” little boys,,illitrate generals” that the West has brought to testify against him! There is more to come about rapes that he personally carried out against young boys and under age girls in his SBU units! Supporters will have hypertention by the end of this trial!
Fallah, President Taylor led a revolution that was the people’s popular uprising. He had both educated and uneducated people support. His ascendancy as president during the election reflects his popularity and the revolution.