(ICC, To Pronounce Guilt, or To Establish Guilt - A matter yet to be decided) It is not certain whether the trial of former Liberian President Charles G. Taylor will be free and fair. It appears to me that for all I see, this trial was politically motivated, a conspiracy against one of the few Pan-Africanist, who the west wants to silenced. It is apparent that a global media campaign has been staged to demonize and condemn the accused even before he is heard. As a powerful global tool, the international media seems to stress the claims of tragic crimes committed during the Sierra Leone war, but fail to blame the hands of those that directly committed those crimes, who themselves are Sierra Leoneans. As one who lived and experienced the worse of the Liberian civil crisis for 14 years, and a victim of violence I suffered and saw others suffered, with reasons to be infuriated with former President Taylor, am instead baffled at the shameless display of so-called justice. Sierra Leoneans must be made to take responsibility for the gruesome crimes they committed against their own people, whether out of frustration over internal politicking or ethnic dispirited or for gain of what is now referred to as the 'infamous blood diamond'. Therefore, if the west have other reasons to apprehend former President Taylor, let them raise the charges and forget about the fiasco of "Taylor bears greater responsibility for the atrocities committed during the Sierra Leone civil war." If they have no charge at all against personally, let to come and appeal to Liberians to raise an issue against former President Taylor on the basis of the Liberia civil war to which former president is directly connected. Or, is the west concern that others it favors would be dragged into the boiling pot? A similar reason for which they turn a blind eye to the call of Liberians for a war-crimes court. However, we await the ICC to prove it worthiness or significance in the case of former President Taylor, and then we will decide whether it is fit to handle other cases - as the one involving President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudden.

Well,there is another celebration coming for West Africa because the Nobel Prize Award Group is about throw another Award to the Fo- rmer Liberian Leader,Charles Taylor.He'll be Awarded a 'Nobel Prize for his achievable Peace Efforts in Sierra Leone'.

Oh,Courtnay Griffiths,give me a break!You confused Lawyer' telling us that your client was a "Peacemarker?" I don't want to see such a "Peacemarker" for the state of Palestine.We are watching closely.

i followed the trial live today. And even If taylor wasn't a peacemaker, he made a point about the US goverment. And i think it's real. Liberia is being use and ignore all the time.

I think you should save ur tune for those in sierra leone. because they did bad thinks to their own people. Taylor led war in liberia not sierra leone. We didn't hear them say liberians did it. so leave taylor alone.

I'm glad that you followed the trail.Yes,he made a point,just as any Armed Robber will stand to defend his/her position after armed robbing a neighbourhood that left morethan a dozen people dead.Taylor is quite known for his 'skipping lies tactics'.

Did you hear him? "I've never,ever!" This is very interesting to me when I picture the one time Taylor in my radal.Let's watch and see how it ends.

Every stupid African I hear from, they only talk of "Western Conspiracy" on Taylor.This is a bloody mess!Those guys are the ones who see the wrong that we do to our people in Afrrica.Left only with some stupid Africans, it's like bread and butter for them.I say it's nonsense to all those who talk on this issue of conspiracy on 'danger, diabolical Taylor'.

Conspiracy!just as the Taylor conspired with RUF,AFRC to destroy the people of Sierra Leone.Do you all know, how we eat,sleep and walk today? It's a shame to some Africans that up to this day,we've not realised to acknowledge and denounce evil in all forms.

Same as Mr. Cainer writes today "In war, there are no winners. In love, there are no losers. We all understand this, yet we all conveniently (or rather, inconveniently) forget it. We convince ourselves that if we fight with all our might for a cause that we believe to be right, we will emerge victorious and vindicated - rather than scarred forever by our tragic losses. " I wish for all to agree with that.

Scapegoat in some ways, true, for many others that are in a protected situation today ( that managed and financed the Civil War ). But he may be used as a scaring case to all present and future leaders of Africa that do not obey the golden rules of so called "Democracy "(imposed by whom and in whose favour?). That was his fate:to be used by his makers (same as the Saddam Husein`s case ). He must knew all about that. He was not a full. That was the dangerous game he played.All he can do now, is to pray for his former associates to be well and that they should pray for his good , too. In jail he has the opportunity to benefit from meditation, prayer that are good for his salvation. God does not want the troubled people dead, but alive and on the path of sainthood. That is his big chance in life for him.The biggest of all. He should be grateful to God for that (especially if he did the things people hold him responsable). May God help him to better himself.

Taylor trial is mere formality and the guy is guilty. As a Liberian I am ashame of Taylor defense disrepecting the victims of Sierra Leone and that of Liberia for all the war crime this idiot committed against the sub region. Let the man rotten in Jail like his son.

It is important that we begin to understand the concept of power and hegemony in international Politics. This former Liberian president Charles Taylor was a victim of circumstance but it also appears to me that he actually victmised others too. my position is that hague in Netherland is a Western hegemony over the Taylor's people and continent. We have to believe in ourselves and stop literarilly handing ourselves over in despair.

Charles Taylor is in the hague facing trial for crime committed against Sierra Leone not Liberia and infact he is not been trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC) but the Sierra Leone Special Court but due to sceurity reasons the special court asked that the trial be held in Holland. Hegemony in international politics is term use for the political dominance of one nation over other nations — via the type of indirect empire that controls its subordinate states with power (the perception that it can enforce its political will), rather than with force. What concept of power and hegemony in international politics are you talking about ? How do it relates to Charles Taylor criminal trial?

I suggest you read Imbalance of Power: US Hegemony and International Order by William Zartman and see it you can do comparative anlaysis of the situation of Charles Taylor and what you have read.

Perhaps, it is the new Berlin Conference with African fifth columnists.