CharlesTaylorTrial.org (The Hague)
Alpha Sesay
6 November 2009
Charles Taylor today accused Britain of transporting arms to Sierra Leone in violation of a United Nations arms embargo on the country, and of using him as a scapegoat by falsely accusing him of responsibility for the flow of arms into the country. Mr. Taylor also denied widespread press and investigative reports that the terrorist group, Al Qaeda, traded diamonds with Sierra Leonean rebels under his supervision in Liberia.
In his testimony today, the accused former Liberian president told the judges that when the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) overthrew the elected government of Sierra Leone in 1997, the country's ousted president, Ahmed Tejan Kabbah, engaged a British mercenary group, Sandline, to dislodge the illegal AFRC junta regime from the country's capital Freetown. He explained that the arrangement was facilitated by then British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone Peter Penfold, whom he said already had links with Sandline prior to his assignment to Sierra Leone in March 1997. Sandline, Mr. Taylor said, provided training and arms for Sierra Leonean civil militia, the Kamajors, as well as Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) peacekeepers. Mr. Taylor said that the British navel ship HMS Conway was also in the high seas supplying arms and ammunition to forces loyal to President Kabbah. According to Mr. Taylor, the British — who had drafted a United Nations resolution imposing an arms embargo on Sierra Leone — were the ones violating the sanctions.
"The British government was breaking the United Nations resolution," Mr. Taylor alleged.
According to Mr. Taylor, when it became clear that the British were the ones violating the UN sanctions on Sierra Leone, they decided to use him as a scapegoat, alleging that he was the one supplying arms to rebel forces in his neighboring country.
"The explanation as to how arms are flowing into Sierra Leone is that they are coming from Liberia. They will bring in these arms and build this lie that arms are coming from Liberia," he said.
"They were aware but they put the blame on Taylor and I say to the world that how can I supply arms to Sierra Leone when I do not have arms in Liberia?" the former president asked.
Mr. Taylor further alleged that Sandline also had an association with another company which had diamond interest in Sierra Leone, an interest he said that Sandline was keen to protect.
"One of the companies associated with Sandline had diamond interest in Sierra Leone. Sandline is protecting that interest," he said.
The accused former president reiterated a familiar position that these allegations are part of a conspiracy theory to destroy him.
"All of this is an orchestration for my destruction," he maintained.
Mr. Taylor also made attempts to discredit international press reports that he was involved in a diamond trade with Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels. Referring to a June 2000 Washington Post and an August 2000 Wall Street Journal reports which both accused him of being involved in a diamond trade with the RUF, Mr. Taylor told the judges today that these were "deliberate attempts to spread disinformation to destroy me."
Also in his testimony today, Mr. Taylor discussed in detail a report by a Washington Post reporter Douglas Farah, which linked him with the terrorist group Al Qaeda. The report, published in October 2003 and titled "The Role of Conflict Diamonds in Failed States" alleged that Al Qaeda operatives made regular visits to Liberia during which they purchased diamonds from Sierra Leone's RUF rebels. According to the report, Ibrahim Bah, an alleged agent of Mr. Taylor, had close ties with an Islamic fundamentalist group in Afghanistan.
The report further alleged that armed guards associated with Mr. Taylor escorted Al Qaeda operatives into Liberia to purchase conflict diamonds. Mr. Taylor denied the contents of the report, saying that if he had any knowledge that Ibrahim Bah was involved in such actions, he would not have entered Liberia.
"Bah would not have stayed in Liberia if we had known," he said. The former president told the judges that "there are no armed guards escorting Al Qaeda into Liberia."
Mr. Taylor also refuted contents of the Mr. Farah's report which alleged that by the end of 2001, Al Qaeda dispatched two operatives to Liberia offering to buy all diamonds the RUF could produce.
"That is so not true," Mr. Taylor told the judges.
Mr. Taylor explained that when these allegations were made, his government cooperated with the United States authorities. After a thorough investigation, it was revealed that there were no Al Qaeda operatives in Liberia, he said. He explained that by the time Mr. Farah wrote his report in October 2003, "the matter was already properly investigated and dismissed."
Mr. Taylor further challenged the contents of a report by Belgian Federal Criminal Investigators, which alleged that Al Qaeda had a relationship with RUF rebels in Sierra Leone, through Liberia, under Mr. Taylor's supervision.
"It is totally untrue. The report does not contain any factual evidence of the conclusion reached in that statement," Mr. Taylor responded.
Mr. Taylor said he was not aware of any meetings between RUF and Al Qaeda operatives in the Hotel Boulevard in Monrovia, as alleged in the Belgian report.
Dismissing the report, Mr. Taylor told the judges that "this gives all the signs of a well orchestrated set of lies. How can professional people behave like this? This is a very amateurish report here destined to destroy people."
Mr. Taylor is responding to allegations that he provided support to RUF rebels in Sierra Leone through the supply of arms and ammunition in return for the country's diamonds. Mr. Taylor has denied the allegations against him and he is testifying as a witness in his own defense.
Mr. Taylor's testimony continues on Monday.
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i wondered who charles talor taking himself to be? dont he realised that the lovely people of sierra leone are enjoying peace today because of the sacrfices made by the british,american,nigerian as well as other african brothers to get him out of power? oh my lord,i want you to remember mr.taylor,you only managed to fool the liberian people in the name of changes,democracy and justice but you will never and ever fool the whole world.you and followers will pay the highest price for the wickeness committed against the people of sierra leone,liberia and guinea.your son is paying for his wickeness in 97yrs prison and am sure you will receive your 147yrs imprisonment as soon as possible.there is noway that the truth GOD whom we served will allow you to walk out of prison because the innocent bloods of our mothers,fathers,brothers and sisters are still crying unto the lord to punish you and your gangters.bravo to the royal people of the UK and bravo to our african brothers for restoring peace and democracy in both liberia and sierra leone.let heaven bless you all.
FROM.SAM G.WAYLEE SR.
AgentX44,
So let me get this straight. The UK who wrote the United Nations resolution banning any countries from exporting arms to Sierra leone. Were the same ones who armed Sandline and Tejan Kabbah agreed to pay them with diamonds. This is not Charles Taylor talking. This is his defense quoteing a report coming out of the House of Commons. What hypocrits the British are. This evidence damages even more the prosecution's case against Mr. Taylor. I see big disappointment for you when Charles Taylor is set free next year.
That will be your "dream come true", next year. I'll love to see that happening for Taylor because he's started admitting his support for the RUF.This is all we need from Taylor. Next, is to say,Sorry to the people of Sierra Leone.
Taylor and Sierra Leone,who was breaking the law on the Arms Embargo? Taylor had his Dutchman,his Financial Business Guru bringing arms for him in Liberia,through the Dutchman's duty-free prevelege given to this mafia in the 80's. When Taylor came to power this man became his body and adviser on all matters. I don't know why the Dutch Government freed this man from jail?
Aki, I want you to retrospect on the deeds of your client.Where was Taylor getting the weapons from,that ATU and other branches of his security forces were shooting around Monrovia or Liberia? From Sierra Leone or Guinea? I want Taylor to ask for mercy from the people of Sierra Leone. If he can do this, sierra Leoneans will help to talk to Bush and Blair. But what Sierra Leoneans can't assure him, is convincing the World Body(The UN). The UN has got its own constitution with regards to those who violate the Laws. And this is where I see Taylor going in the Dock for only 150 years.
Back to my point on the Dutchman. In the early 90's this man was accused of suppling arms to Taylor and he was banned from entering Sierra Leone by the late President Momoh. When Captain Valentine Strasser came to power,this Dutchman's Creole British Sierra Leonean friend,was able to mediate between this Dutchman and Captain Strasser.And the ban on no entry to Sierra Leone was removed. Aki, we're not sleeping in Sierra Leone,this time around. Chao brother!
The former President of Liberia, Charles Gangkay Taylor, was a bandit with a social pride,that had the aim of building himself a well-self-created SATELITE STATE;where he could've sat in his Empire and direct his surbordinate bandits or mayhem boys and girls with ease.
Unfortunately, and thank God that Nigeria, Guinea,Britain and America, succeeded Internationally in thwarting his evil plans for the sub-region and Africa. Locally, we all owe a thank you to the INPFL, ULIMO,LPC and LURD, for their gallantry efforts.
Britain acted upon Taylor's refusal to stop buying arms from Ukrain, Burkina Faso,Libya,and French Mafia(J.Christopher Mitterand)the son of former President of France. Taylor felt his evil plans were been compromised,with the coming in of the British who had the most sophisticated fire-power. That is when Taylor started opening his big mouth and complaining of a "violation of the arms embargo on Sierra Leone".At that time President Kabba of Sierra Leone did tell him to "keep his mouth shut".
Britain took the right stand and acted rightly to protect the people of Sierra Leone,from the claws of a Mafia Den that was eating Sierra Leone,piece by piece.That is why we gave Peter Penford the title as Chief. And as we recollect and retrospect on the past,we might as well again crown him as King in Freetown.