Liberia's former President, Charles Taylor, one of Africa's most ruthless thugs (a bold claim, to be sure) will go on trial at a UN-backed Special Court at the Haguie next week. He will face war crimes charges stemming back to his years as Liberia's Big Man. A couple of colorful quotations reveal the loathing that taylor inspires among Africans:
“This man called Charles Taylor is a monster.” — Sierra Leonean Adama Turay, whose son and daughter both had hands amputated by RUF rebels.
“I am very happy to see this man is at that court. He needs to be killed rather than fed each day.
Whatever a man soweth, so shall he reap …. Men acting on his order killed many people … That should tell you how wicked that man was.” — Monrovia resident Rosetta Smith, whose husband was beaten to death by members of an Anti-Terrorist Unit operating under Taylor.
Not all are thrilled with the trial — some fear that it will become a circus, others believe that the trial represents a misallocation of resources, some fear that taylor will be acquitted. But on the whole I would argue that bringing taylor to justice sends the best possible message in light of the atrocities for which Taylor bears responsibility, whether direct or indirect.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
