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Liberia: Taylor's 'Crime Story'
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
DOCUMENT
11 March 2008
Posted to the web 11 March 2008
It is not known when witnesses for former President Charles Taylor will take the stand in his defense, but his alleged crime story seems to be continuing unabated.
Another witness claiming to be a former fighter of the Charles Taylor rebellious forces is on the witness stand giving insight of what he knows about the war, his role and that of the man facing 11-count charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The next Prosecution witness has been called. The man who called himself Isaac Mongor was examined by Nick Koumjian, a prosecution counsel of the trial.
He told the court he was born on November 21, 1965 here in Liberia and that he speaks Kru, his mother's language. According to Mongor, he served in Liberian National army during the administration of slain President Samuel Kanyon Doe in 1985.
Excerpts from his testimony
Wit: It was in 1985. He was trained but did not complete the training. He was not a member of the Liberian army for very long, 2-3 months, as he did not want to be a soldier. When he left the army, he started a business - he would go to the Ivory Coast for goods and then sell them in Liberia. He was involved in this for some period of time until "the war met us."
In "Christmas month" of 1989 the rebels who called themselves freedom fighters and identified themselves as the NPFL entered the village he was in. When they entered they shot guns. Some people ran away. When they ceased firing the villagers came outside, after which the rebels took the young men to their base. He did not recall the village he was in when he was captured. In the village there were no fighters.
The rebels handpicked some of them (young men and women) in the town and took them along. The range of ages included children, young women and young girls. They were taken to the base at Gborpaly for training. (Some discussion concerning the spelling of this camp)
This was a training base to fight for "our country" (Liberia). The rebels indicated that that their leader was Charles Taylor, known as the "CIC" (Commander in Chief), and Mongor was there when Taylor came.
Mongor was trained for 2 months. They were given guerilla training and taught how to fire guns. The ages of those being trained included small boys and small girls as well as adults.
Pros: Youngest age of those being trained?
Wit: There were people about 10 years.
Pros: Any ceremony at end of training?
Wit: No, just graduated us and said we had completed training.
Pros: Where assigned after training?
W: Assigned to fight on the war front and fought in same Nimba County in Ganta. When I fought there for some time in Ganta the CIC came there for some time before they could advance. They next moved to Gbarnga and fought from evening up to midnight up to the next morning until Prince Johnson was flushed out of the area.
Pros: Did your unit have a designation?
W: Yes. At the time we captured Gbarnga they took me to join the executive mansion guard, the CIC bodyguard group. The overall boss was [?]. He did not know exactly when he became a member of this unit, but said it was the next year after he had been captured.
The duties of the Executive Mansion guard included guarding Taylor, fighting on the front line and going with the CIC wherever he went. When he was there himself, he operated the heavy weapons and moved first before the whole group. At that time he was a sergeant. When he was using the AA (anti-aircraft gun) he was the advance team commander when the CIC went to the front line.
Pros: How often see Taylor?
W: I saw him every day because executive mansion guards had access to him. They would explain what was happening on the front line, so I saw him always.
Pros: Routine?
W: Used to have a parade when the "Pa himself" (Taylor) would come to inspect the troops. The CIC himself would come to see the men. At the parade ground, there were SBUs (small boy units), and some other units also such as the Artillery units, which he was a member. Age range of small boys was 10 - ? years. They were among the guards and used to go to the front line to fight.
Pros: How was security for the CIC arranged?
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W: Sometimes when he was about to go somewhere he used to disguise himself, he didn't want people to know. Sometimes Taylor would be among the SBUs, and sometimes among others. I was at the head of the advance team and would always be in front.
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