Significant shipments of weapons, intended for use by rebels in Sierra Leone's 11-year civil conflict, could have been transported through Liberia without Charles Taylor's knowledge, the accused former Liberian president told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges today at his trial in The Hague.
"It is possible that significant amounts of arms could come into Liberia without my consent. With the level of corruption in the country, it is possible. I don't run the airports or the roads," he told the judges.
Mr. Taylor was responding to allegations that he transported arms and ammunition from Libya and Burkina Faso for onward transfer to Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone. Mr. Taylor has denied these allegations.
In his testimony today, Mr. Taylor explained that when these allegations against him were made, he took steps to make sure that no such arms were transported through Liberia. His accusers, he said, had no evidence to prove these allegations.
"They could not show us what was coming in. We were as diligent as we could be. If they had the evidence, they could have confronted us with it," Mr. Taylor said. "If anyone thinks that anything coming into Liberia is with the knowledge of Taylor, then I am already guilty."
Mr. Taylor explained that even in the United States where "you have the best security network," the terrorists who launched the September 11, 2001 attacks were able to enter the country and wreak havoc without being detected by the United States intelligence.
"When it comes to these small countries therefore, lots of things could happen," he said.
Mr. Taylor said that when his government was attacked by the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels in 1998, he asked the United Nations to lift its arms embargo on Liberia. When the UN refused, his government ordered loads of arms and ammunition to defend the country. Afterwards, he informed the UN of the list of arms that they had bought and the purpose for which they would be used.
Reinforcing his point that arms could have been transported through Liberia without his consent, Mr. Taylor said that the arms and ammunition that were bought by the Liberian government to fight against LURD rebels were transported through European countries without the consent of their respective governments.
"We imported arms from Europe, these European countries were bound by Chapter VII of the UN Charter. They[arms] stopped in these countries but the governments did not know and they got to Liberia," Mr Taylor said. "If you have a little bit of money, and you want to move weapons, I don't care what resolution is passed, you will move weapons including through the best of the countries you can imagine and use some of their own companies to do it."
Mr. Taylor said that the same thing could have happened in Liberia when individuals or groups could have transported arms into the country and transferred the arms to rebel forces in Sierra Leone. All this, Mr. Taylor said, could have happened without his knowledge or consent.
"So the fact is that something can come into Roberts International Airport [Liberia's main airport], the president in Monrovia doing what he's got to do, if sufficient contacts are made at that airport, those things would come into the airport, if its weapons, of course. With sufficient money, you can bribe the officials and the weapons can be brought in at a time, it can happen anywhere," he said.
Mr. Taylor also told the judges that at the relevant times that he is accused of transporting arms and ammunition to rebel forces in Sierra Leone, the main roads linking Liberia to Sierra Leone were occupied by other rebel groups who were fighting against his National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).
"When we look at the period of occupation as from 1991 up to my election in 1997, ULIMO had control of the very position. LURD attacked in 1998 and up to 2001, they made significant gains," Mr. Taylor said. "As of August 2001 to 2002, LURD is occupying the very position that ULIMO occupied earlier. They know the strategic nature of occupying this area."
Mr. Taylor is accused of providing support for RUF rebels in Sierra Leone through the supply of arms and ammunition in return for diamonds. Several witnesses have testified to the transfer of arms and ammunition from Liberia to Sierra Leone with Mr. Taylor's knowledge and participation. Mr. Taylor has denied these allegations.
Mr. Taylor's testimony continues tomorrow.
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I for sure,definately believe that Taylor knew of all the arms that were coming to the country of Liberia for onwards transfer to the RUF or AFR.Because Taylor was the contact point of those arms agents in Libya and Burkina Faso.One of those men from Burkina Faso was a good friend to the very Taylor.
Taylor, there is no point for any escape.You are responsible 100%.Further more,you were the Leader of Libera.
tttahs:
If you are so sure and have all evidence to support your claim, that Mr. Taylor was aware of all the arms that passed his country, why don't you present those evidence to the court? You are very narrow minded and far from logical thinking. Do you not think that RUF had the ability to import their own arms and used Liberia's territory to transport them to their gangs? Let me ask you a simple question. Do you know every single thing that goes on in your own family? Let me wident a little, do you know everything that goes in your little city? Or things that your children do out there while you are at home? I am trying to educate you that it is not possible a leader to know all what go on. They are not God to see in every corner and read every mind, more less control evil of anyone. So wake up and think logically. If you can't prove an argument, don't convict an innocent person!!!
If Taylor (and I say if) was the one who started the trouble in your country, it is not without the help of your own citizens. Before you convict Taylor, remember that your former corrupt president, Kabbah, is also as quilty as hell. Blood stain is on his hand as well as on the his generation. He is responsible for trouble but most of you are very much in the cloud and can't see it. One day ( and very soon), the truth shall come out, and those of you who are pushing to send a innocent (innocent becasue has not been proven quilty) man to his death, shall bow your heads in an unrelinguish sorrow and disgrace. That is of course, if your have any remorse. With your pre-mature judgement till the court and the jurors prounce the verdict!!!
tttahs:
If you are so sure and have all evidence to support your claim, that Mr. Taylor was aware of all the arms that passed his country, why don't you present those evidence to the court? You are very narrow minded and far from logical thinking. Do you not think that RUF had the ability to import their own arms and used Liberia's territory to transport them to their gangs? Let me ask you a simple question. Do you know every single thing that goes on in your own family? Let me wident a little, do you know everything that goes in your little city? Or things that your children do out there while you are at home? I am trying to educate you that it is not possible a leader to know all what go on. They are not God to see in every corner and read every mind, more less control evil of anyone. So wake up and think logically. If you can't prove an argument, don't convict an innocent person!!!
If Taylor (and I say if) was the one who started the trouble in your country, it is not without the help of your own citizens. Before you convict Taylor, remember that your former corrupt president, Kabbah, is also as quilty as hell. Blood stain is on his hand as well as on the his generation. He is responsible for trouble but most of you are very much in the cloud and can't see it. One day ( and very soon), the truth shall come out, and those of you who are pushing to send a innocent man (innocent becasue has not been proven quilty)to his death, shall bow your heads in an unrelinguish sorrow and disgrace. That is of course, if your have any remorse. Withhold your pre-mature judgement till the court and the jurors pronunce the verdict!!!
mroo785,I don't want to use my time to convince you in accepting what I say about Taylor.But what I can tell you is that our evidence have helped that Special Court to bring about the indictment of your Taylor that you're today proud of.Your pre-mature post"don't you think RUF could've imported the arms and use Liberia to transport them(arms)?".I see this as a sad story and very blind to a person like you.
Yes! I'm so narrow minded to know more that a lunatic,an idiot,a sot,a nonentity,a nonconformist,like you,will never know. I'm so narrow minded that my family is well organised and I know what happens every day and what they do.I'm so narrow minded that non of our family member is a "call-girl or a homosexual bandit" like yours,so you care not to keep tract of their movements.For me, I do.Before any member leaves the house,he or she is accompanied with a member in a car.
I feel very good when people like you attack me on this site and you bring the family.I feel very nasty to respond to people like you a 'well devoted sot'who inherited it from his family and Fore-Fathers.Speak no more on this site about family.Don't allow me to describe your very existence because you're a member of the cannibal family,which I believe is a complete genetic inheritance.Or do you want me to support this by saying that one of your President's former Commander revealed to the Special Court that "he dine on human intestines with his Boss Taylor"
Please I ask that you shut up next time you see me on this site!Because I need men with a great thinking faculty potentials on this good site.For the corruption of Kabba as you mentioned,give us some proof or I'll render you as a 'non compos mentis'.
Just like in any story, there are always two sides and the best thing we Liberians can hope to learn from the root cause of our brutal civil conflict, is tolerance for the opinions of others that differ from ours without resulting to insults. I am particular offended by your abusive tirade directed at someone who dared challenge your posting. Are your trying to over-compensate for something your are lacking by hurling synonyms and irrelevant words at somebody? Remember: empty vessels make more noise. I hope your are full.
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