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Toussaint Kluiters / Pool via AP
Former Liberian President Charles Taylor waits to be sentenced at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague on Wednesday.
THE HAGUE -- Judges at the international war crimes court sentenced former Liberian President Charles Taylor to 50 years in prison on Wednesday, saying he was responsible for "some of the most heinous and brutal crimes recorded in human history."
He had been convicted of supporting rebels in Sierra Leone who murdered and mutilated thousands during their country's brutal civil war in return for blood diamonds.
Ex-Liberia President Charles Taylor guilty in 'watershed' war-crimes case
The Special Court for Sierra Leone found Taylor guilty last month on 11 charges of aiding and abetting the rebels who went on a bloody rampage during the decade-long war that ended in 2002 with more than 50,000 dead.
Presiding Judge Richard Lussick says the crimes Taylor was convicted of were of the "utmost gravity in terms of scale and brutality."
Blood diamonds? Supermodel thought they were 'dirty stones'
"The lives of many more innocent civilians in Sierra Leone were lost or destroyed as a direct result of his actions," Lussick said.
Taylor showed no emotion as Lussick handed down what will effectively be a life sentence.
The 64-year-old warlord-turned-president is the first former head of state convicted by an international war crimes court since World War II.
'In a class of his own'
Prosecutors had asked judges at the Special Court for Sierra Leone to impose an 80-year sentence; Taylor's lawyers urged judges to hand down a sentence that offered him some hope of release before he dies.
Lussick said an 80-year sentence would have been excessive as Taylor was convicted of aiding and abetting crimes and not direct involvement.
But the judge added that Taylor was "in a class of his own" compared to others convicted by the United Nations-backed court.
"The special status of Mr. Taylor as a head of state puts him in a different category of offenders for the purpose of sentencing," Lussick said.
The International Criminal Court at the Hague has found former Liberian President Charles Taylor guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity by supporting brutal rebels responsible for countless atrocities in the 1991-2002 Sierra Leone civil war. ITV's Paul Brand reports.
At a sentencing hearing earlier this month, Taylor expressed "deepest sympathy" for the suffering of victims of atrocities in Sierra Leone, but insisted he had acted to help stabilize the West Africa region and claimed he never knowingly assisted in the commission of crimes.
"What I did...was done with honor," he said. "I was convinced that unless there was peace in Sierra Leone, Liberia would not be able to move forward."
However, judges ruled that Taylor armed and supplied the rebels in full knowledge they would likely use weapons to commit terrible crimes, in exchange for payments of "blood diamonds" often obtained by slave labor.
Prosecutors said there was no reason for leniency, given the extreme nature of the crimes, Taylor's "greed" and misuse of his position of power.
"The purposely cruel and savage crimes committed included public executions and amputations of civilians, the display of decapitated heads at checkpoints, the killing and public disembowelment of a civilian whose intestines were then stretched across the road to make a check point, public rapes of women and girls, and people burned alive in their homes," prosecutor Brenda Hollis wrote in a brief appealing for the 80-year sentence.
Taylor stepped down and fled into exile in Nigeria after being indicted by the court in 2003. He was finally arrested and sent to the Netherlands in 2006.
While the Sierra Leone court is based in that country's capital, Freetown, Taylor's trial is being staged in Leidschendam, a suburb of The Hague, for fear holding it in West Africa could destabilize the region.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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No comment other then there should be a death penalty and even then would not be enough for crimes committed.
How many years until they throw Assad in the same cell?
Far too many, I'm sure...
I'm kind of hoping Assad goes the same way as Gaddafi, Ceausescu or Mussolini.
I bet the resort he'll be doing his time in has better amenities than most of us can afford on the outside.
George W. Bush should get much more for killing hundreds of thousands in the middle east (Iraq and Afghanistan)
He deserved death penalty multiple times over. Another propped up dictator got served justice. But so many are free and died free. Makes one wonder - why does God - if there is one - allow this to happen.
Nonetheless - a great news for the day to begin with.
If so, Pigotry, I'm sure you'll be lining up Obama for the cell next door to Bush? After all, the wars, killing, extraordinary rendition (sanctioned torture), etc. have continued pretty much as Bush set out. In fact, drone attacks have been perfected under Obama are are used quite heavily with a fairly high civilian casualty per intended target casualty ratio.
So again - I'm sure you'll be warming up his cell as well, won't you?
Baloney Elvoid...The point of the drones is to prevent collateral damage and they work as intended.
Glenn - I'm not against the use of drones - and they limit collateral damage, yes they do. Key word "limit."
Drones are employed in what are essentially not "military exercises," but "assassination attempts." And they have come with a civilian casualty pricetag - this is well known and common knowledge. In fact, we're now finding out that Obama agreed to define ANY casualty of military fighting age a "combatant" whether or not they were a university student in the wrong place a the wrong time or a member of the Taliban - all to keep that "civilian casualty" number low.
The point is any "crimes" Bush committed, Obama has been doing essentially the same thing for the last four years - he has largely left the blue print Bush laid out intact, and even expanded on it. Is the blood on his hands cleaner for some reason? What might that reason be?
Obama is ending the wars - not initiating them smart guy. We have troop drawn downs - not upscaling.
As opposed to the civilian casualties of the Bushs 2 wars? LOL Not in the same universe. Get a clue.
I agree completely and I'm also waiting for Harry Truman to be posthumously sentenced to death for killing hundreds of thousands innocent Japanese in Hiroshima and Nagasaki! These war criminals need to be brought to justice!
Mike -
Obama ramped up the war in Afghanistan (and I agree with his moves there).
Yes, he has "drawn down" Iraq - basically on the same timeframe that Bush had for drawing down in Iraq - in other words, he didn't get us out of there any sooner than Bush would have.
Obama continued many of the same policies put in place by the Bush administration. Patriot Act, extraordinary rendition, etc. while at the same time ramping up his own plans.
As to the number of casualties, Obama has a high tally under his four years - feel free to look it up.
Having said all this, I largely think Obama has handled Afghanistan and Iraq correctly - but if Bush committed "crimes" so did Obama - simple as that.
The fact is, when it comes to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the "war on terror," aside from semantics Obama has been on the same road as Bush and done many of the same things. If we're going to leave hypocrisy aside, they'll both need a trial. (I don't particularly think either committed crimes, but I'm not out there trying to arrest Bush, either)
changeican believe in----you are mistaken regarding your accessment of pres. harry truman----many american soldiers survived because of his actions. thousands of soldiers in war camps lived because of harry truman. truman was an artillery officer on the front lines in ww1 and knew about war. the war would have gone on for many more months at the cost of the lives of american soldiers. i doubt the families of these soldiers agree with you.
Should be hacked to death with a dull machette starting at his toes and fingers and slowly move up and in untill he is mush.
This what happened when the slaves were returned to Africa. Lovely.
Mel, hate to tell you this but you should consider the history of Europe and see how much killing and pillaging supposedly "civilized, free whites" did over the years. So please do not make it seem like the slaves went back to Liberia and did anything that the history of European Whites haven't done. MAN, both black, white, yellow & brown have engaged in thus sort of conduct since 2 different groups of cavemen have fought over a watering hole or a hunting ground.
By the way, now that the Charles Taylor trial is over, just when are they going to have a trial in absentia for Dub-ya Bush and Bad Heart Cheney. They aiding & abetted untold death & destruction plus cost the lives of 4500 Americans. We can also throw that idiot Dan Senor in to, as a Defendant because he lied just as much as they did and he is still lying and war mongering as an Adviser to the spineless, Cowardly Lion, Willard the Joke. We can already see what we will get if he wins, strife at home with the rich getting everything and with the senile, old warrior, McCain saber rattling, war on every country in the Middle East. Isn't it strange how Willard & his 5 strapping sons never served a day in the Military but are always talking about taking action in this place or that place. Iran, Syria lets fight them all but his sons aren't the ones that have to go and do the fighting... Punk A$$ Republicans have no problem sending somebody else's child to go and get killed or maimed....
The crimes of Charles Taylor sound very much like what Ronald Reagan did in Central America. To bad they can't try him posthumously and expose his administration for what it really was.
Yeah, libtards have never sent thousands of troops to die in an unncesssarry war *cough* Johnson - Vietnam *cough*
Also, the Obama admistration is doing a great job at beating the war drum with Iran.
Uh Einstein, just so you know, Vietnam was "inherited" from the Eisenhower Administration and Obama has caught nothing but flack because he wants to use "sanctions" against Iran where the Neo-Cons want to bomb everybody and start wars that their sons do not go and fight. Get your facts right Friend. Finally, Johnson did not LIE us into a war. YOU Repubs are the best at revising History. You make Reagan out to be some sort of "saint" when his senile a$$ should have been impeached and put in jail for Iran-Contra. Congress knew he wanted to intervene in Central America and passed a LAW prohibiting him from doing so and he did it anyways. A willful breaking of the law doesn't get any clearer than that. So keep spinning your lies and revising history. Before you know it, Bush Jr will look like Andrew Jackson and maybe even have his face on some money too! NOT!!!!!!
@Eddia, If memory serves me correctly That was a CIA deal. It was something that needed to be done and the CIA got a Marine Maj, or such to sell something and used the funds to buy the weapons. If I remember right it was a highly televised trial, mostly news shows, He was found guilty but myself and a large part of the population felt he was a scape goat. Does this jog your memory a little more?
6dogs:
RE: your post #4.4
If you want the facts, they are public. In the below Wikipedia citation (all statements can also be varified from other sources, including T.V. footage, newspapers, magazines, etc.). Take a close look at the 'Indictments' section. There you will see what happened to each of the major, and not so major, players in this action and cover-up!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair#Indictments
Yeah, Eddie. Great call! And we'll have the trial for Obama for much the same thing afterwards right? Right? Eddie? Hey, where'd Eddie go?
Yeah - look at all the dem's calling for an Iranian war genius. /sarcasm
Eddie in Seattle
Gulf of Tonkin incident.
I specially recall Panetta (picked by Obama) saying that the US is prepared to launch an attack against Iran. I don't support the warmongers on the right, but don't be a hypocrite and act as if libtards haven't done the same.
This is why we need capital punishment.
Roy far on the Right:
RE: your post #5
As soon as you become president / prime minister of one of these countries you can try and pass a law legalizing capital punishment! From you statement: "This is why WE need capital punishment", I can tell that you would make all the laws for everyone on EARTH if given the opportunity. Perhaps you are a citizen of these countries, If so, I stand corrected. If not, try a little humility and let the citizens of each respective country make their own laws. Oh, I forgot, the far-right would like to control everyone and everything even if it is none of their business. Why? Because they are such wonderful Christians, spiritually well above all other men and creatures, and they reason so critically, right?
A purely racist verdict.
LOL @ Nothing new here.
Yup...it MUST be racism.
And somewhere, Pat Robertson cries and polishes his blood diamonds.
Astro----------- I surprised that the media isnt informing Americans about the Charles Taylor/Pat Robertson connection--- an alliance between the a of God and a man of the devil!
Next is Mugabe...Please dont forget the 20.000 Ndebeles that were killed in the 1980's
Perhaps,if he would have sent the diamonds to De Beers without monetary gain, there would not have been a problem. Any and all raw materials must go to the foreign colonists for the weapons they provided because . . . no weapons are manufactured in Liberia. Chuck Taylor was a rogue puppet.(Yes, it is Charles)
and yet... Charles Taylor was a "Model Leader" when he was the CIA annointed thug just like the plethora of others...
The Shah, Bautista, Norriega, Pinochet, Mubarek, the House of Saud (still), Syngman Rhee, Samoza, Quadaffi, Suharto, Alvarado, Peron... etc., etc., ad infinitum.
gotta love the United States Empire!
Cell mates for Dick and lil Dubya
Liberia? Where do I know that name from? Something about US involvement? Freed slaves given their own country? Billions in US aide over the years?
Glad to see those freed "slaves" did something with the country and all that money.
By the way, If Mr. Taylor had a son, and Obama had a son, would Mr. Obama's son look a lot like Mr. Taylor's son?
Charles Taylor does have a son, Chucky Taylor. Just as bad or worse than his father. Born and raised in the US, too. There was an article in Rolling Stone about him. An informative read if you can stomach it.
You missed a few pages in the history of Liberia, before Taylor. After the people who were held as slaves were allowed to return, check to see who followed behind them and for what purpose, to this day. He who holds you up will continue to do so until you are seen as a hindrance to their real goal for doing so.
"... in hopes of release before he dies".
Yes. A major concern of mine. :: sarcasm::
next is KONY !
didnt obama illeagaly cross into pakistan and engage in a fire fight to kill binladen? good move but illeagal i think?
thats what i thought
When will the court in the Hague bring up charges against Both Bushe's, Chaney, Rumsfeld and the rest of these War Criminals.
Why don't you join the Taliban? We're still fighting them and BO has been president for nearly 4 years. Enjoy the freedom that others have paid so that you can make such idiotic statements.
Joe -
By "the rest of the War Criminals" I'm assuming you would apply the same rules you apply to Bush, etc., correct? So I assume you mean Obama and both Clintons, correct? Or did you mean only republican "war criminals" - the democrat "war criminals" get a pass?
The brutality and blatant abuse of power and disregard for human life directed at these innocent civilians in Liberia by their own people is not to be compared to what our leadership has done over the years. If you can point to one instance where our government has rounded up people, disemboweled them publicly, raped women and children and set fires to homes with people inside, please direct me to the appropriate page in history so I can read about it for myself. And please don't use the analogy of taxation, regulation, etc., that's not what we are talking about here.
Lawful1, Well said. People on this site talk in comparisons of apples and elephants.
I always like the "Bush (or your favorite one to hate) has killed 100,000s of innocent people. Please show me the place where it was our bombs or bullets that killed all the ones that Sadam killed. Where is the real number of causulties that the US caused, not counting the ones that the enemy killed. Can you say Kurds? Or this president killed 6,000 US troops. Blah blah blah. When WWII was going, over the four years, there was an AVERAGE death toll of 416 dead PER DAY. Is that even close to the IRAQ/AFGAN war? No. Average for this latest war is about 1 dead per day. PLEASE try and compare that to WWII. Lawful1, those others out there try to compare a drone kill with a contractor worker that was killed and then hanged and then burned and then hung for all to see.
Your last sentence describes what our founding fathers allowed to be done to people here in the US for more than 400 years. While I did not take part directly, I must acknowledge the truth about this. Pregnant black women were tied to a tree when they were near term and had their babies cut of the womb and given to the older black women for them to nurse, and the mother was left to rot in view of the black adults and children. There is no justification for inhumane treatment when not under threat.
Africa is a wonderful continent.
Its a country isnt it?
/sarahpalin
/facepalm
why pay to keep him alive for another day longer?
"What I did...was done with honor," he said."
Excuse me while I vomit.
I've seen pictures of the years of the maiming of men and women. It haunts me to think about what I've seen. The victims should be able to chop his hands off like they were left.
Like most insane despots, he sees himself as some kind of savior or champion for a noble political cause. He's actually just a bloodthirsty killer who convinced other killers to follow him and do his dirty work for him. The sentence is just and fitting.
What about KONY 2012 ????
The guy was locked up in Boston for a while. Too bad he got out. He won't now.
The first time a head of state has been found guilty by an international tribunal since the Nazi trials at Nuremburg. Here is a look at Taylor and his atrocities in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
He has ruled Liberia for six years before being forced into exile in Nigeria.
Is this our US history which has repeated itself in Africa, who was or is being held accountable? I am confident that former prime-minister Botha, the Somozas, and others will be next in line. They were allowed to commit worse atrocities, for longer periods, which make Mr. Taylor look like an altar boy.