Washington, DC — "Liberia is a case of failure of prevention," the Director of the United Nations Africa Division, Youssef Mahmoud, told the Congressional Human Rights Caucus Wednesday. "Peacekeeping is usually a response too late to deal with the disastrous consequences of [such] lack of prevention but it is necessary; in this particular case it is necessary and it is urgent."
When Liberia's previous dictator, Samuel Doe, was ousted in 1990, "Taylor would have been a non-factor [today] had we gone in then," said Congressman Donald Payne (D-New Jersey] ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Africa and one of the co-chairs of the Human Rights Caucus.
However, said Salih Booker of Africa Action, "The Cold War ended in 1989 and the U.S. abandoned Liberia."
With the naming by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan of Jacques Klein, former head of the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as Special Representative for Liberia, and with about 1,000 troops from the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) expected to be sent to Liberia in two weeks, "regional leaders and the Secretary General have done all that can be done to address this urgent situation," said Mahmoud.
"Unfortunately, this political will does not have the matching resources," Mahmoud told the caucus. He'd like U.S. troops and money helping with the effort. Washington, however, is waiting for a report by a 32-member U.S. team which arrived in Monrovia on Monday to assess security conditions and humanitarian needs.
"I think the White House wants to make it through the presidential trip [in Africa] before it will say it will not send troops to Liberia," says Africa Action's Salih Booker.
And on Capitol Hill, deaths in Iraq and the presence of around 8,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, about 150,000 in Iraq and 25,000 in Kosovo. has many U.S. legislators, as well as the Pentagon, leery of a new commitment of U.S. forces.
Last week, the Nigerian Senate approved the request of President Olusegun Obasanjo to deploy Nigerian troops for peacekeeping operations in Liberia. And, Obasanjo has offered "asylum" to Liberian president Charles Taylor. There are unconfirmed reports that Taylor's son, Charles Taylor Jr., popularly known as "Chucky", has fled Liberia and is seeking asylum in South Africa.
Taylor says he is willing to leave, although when and under what terms, remain unclear. Nonetheless, his "decision to depart, paves the way for a transitional arrangement to take place," said Mahmoud.
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He did not offer the Caucus specific details on such a transition but several other witnesses emphasized that peace won't be found by backing away from prosecuting Taylor who was indicted as a war criminal in March.
"The United States should support Charles Taylor's indictment and state clearly that no safe haven should be provided to Taylor, and that every government should implement the international arrest warrant of the Special Court for Sierra Leone," said Janet Fleischman, Washington Director for Africa of Human Rights Watch.
Furthermore, said Amnesty International's Advocacy Director for Africa, Krista Riddley, if Nigeria has promised Taylor that no legal action will be taken against him if he accepts their offer of asylum, it "is violating its obligation under international law....Rather than displaying contempt for international law and for the Special Court of Sierra Leone, Nigeria and other Ecowas states should show unbending commitment to ensuring that the Liberian people -- who have suffered so terribly -- see those responsible for crimes against them held to account."
