Finally, Taylor in Hand
By Douglas Farah
In an incredible stroke of luck, Nigerian policemen arrested fugitive Charles Taylor as he tried to cross by land into Cameroon. According to eyewitness accounts, he was wearing a white safari suit, driving a Landrover with diplomatic plates and had bags full of dollars in the trunk. He made it through the immigration check point, but was stopped when trying to get through customs.
He was flown to Abuja, Nigeria, then put on a presidential jet to Roberts Field, Liberia. From there he should be flown to Freetown, Sierra Leone, where his cell is awaiting him, along with some of his cohorts in the murder and mayhem that he wreaked. He is charged with 17 counts of crimes against humanity.
The arrest does not mitigate the gross negligence on the part of the Obasanjo government in letting Taylor operate with impunity from his estate in Calabar while in exile and then allowing him to escape. While Taylor's arrest may have salvaged Obasanjo's visit today with President Bush, it should not preclude a reevaluation of the close and dependent relationship the United States has developed with Nigeria's president, who has shown himself to be little better than his reviled predecessors who were international pariahs. My complete blog is here..
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/mt/pings.cgi/2471
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Finally, Taylor in Hand:
» Warlord Taylor to Face Justice! from Causes of Interest
My oh my, what a beautiful day! I happened upon these three stories about ex-dictator Charles Taylor and his son, Emmanuel. In the first article, Charles Taylor has been recaptured, I repeat, he is in Custody! [Read More]
