A timeline of Charles Taylor’s rise and fall and the Liberian and Sierra Leone conflicts

September 9th, 2009 Sierra Leone boat capsizes, 8 deadFREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Police in Sierra Leone say a boat carrying 150 people has capsized on a river near the coast of the West African nation, killing at least eight people. Deputy Police Inspector General Morie Lengor says 36 people have been rescued so far.

August 6th, 2009 Ex-Liberian prez wants to hear US radio interceptsAMSTERDAM — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor called Thursday on the United States and Britain to declassify radio intercepts he says would help clear him of war crimes charges. Taylor was concluding his fourth week of testimony in his defense against 11 charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture, for aiding rebels in Sierra Leone.

July 30th, 2009 Ex-Liberian chief blames UN envoy for false chargeAMSTERDAM — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor on Thursday blamed the beginning of his legal troubles on a former U.N. envoy who he claimed misidentified Liberians fighting in Sierra Leone as his men.

July 28th, 2009 Charles Taylor denies cannibalism accusationsAMSTERDAM — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor said Monday he was sickened by allegations at his war crimes trial that he ate human flesh, calling testimony by a former aide the lies of an illiterate man. "I felt like throwing up when I heard that nonsense, and I think even the prosecution were shocked at listening to that foolishness," he told the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague.

July 27th, 2009 Charles Taylor denies sending arms to Sierra LeoneAMSTERDAM — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor pointed to impassible roads and his country's own mineral wealth Monday to deny key testimony at his war crimes trial that he had traded arms for diamonds in Sierra Leone. Taylor, starting his third week of testimony at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, said neither of the two roads that led to the Sierra Leone border could support vehicles laden with weapons, as alleged by a prosecution witness.

July 21st, 2009 Charles Taylor says insider witness was 'crazy'THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor said Tuesday that a key prosecution witness at his war crimes trial was a low-level official who "went crazy" years before testifying against him. Taylor used his fifth day on the witness stand at the Special Court for Sierra Leone to try to discredit witness Varmuyan Sherif, who told judges he was a close Taylor aide.

July 20th, 2009 Ex-Liberian leader denies looting Sierra LeoneAMSTERDAM — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor on Monday challenged anyone to find a bank account of his holding illicit funds or "blood diamonds" from the civil war in Sierra Leone. In his second week of testimony at his war crimes trial, Taylor denied any role in forming the guerrilla force that invaded Sierra Leone in 1991, that he helped plan the rebel incursion, that he trained the rebel forces or that he commanded their operations.

July 20th, 2009 Ex-Liberian leader: No loot from Sierra LeoneAMSTERDAM — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor issued a challenge at his war crimes trial Monday to find any bank account owned by him holding illicit funds or "blood diamonds" from the civil war in Sierra Leone. In his second week of testimony in his defense, Taylor denied any role in forming the guerrilla force that invaded Sierra Leone in 1991, that he helped plan the rebel incursion, that he trained the rebel forces or that he commanded their operations.

July 20th, 2009 Ex-Liberian leader denies invading Sierra LeoneTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor denied on Monday that he had played any part in forming the guerrilla force that invaded Sierra Leone in the early 1990s. In his second week of testimony at his war crimes trial, Taylor was categorical in rejecting the testimony of prosecution witnesses that he attended the meeting that planned the rebel incursion into Sierra Leone, that he trained the rebel forces and that he commanded their operations.

July 16th, 2009 Taylor says his men trained to avoid atrocitiesTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor has told a war crimes court his band of rebel fighters were trained in Libya to avoid atrocities as they swept into the country in a 1989 revolution. Taylor is on the witness stand for the third day at his trial for allegedly commanding rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war.

July 13th, 2009 Taylor begins his Sierra Leone war crimes defenseTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Lawyers for Charles Taylor began his defense against war crimes charges Monday, arguing that the former Liberian president was not responsible for the murder, rape and mutilation of civilians by rebels in Sierra Leone and should not be blamed simply out of disgust at the atrocities. Taylor, the first African head of state to be tried by an international court, is charged with 11 crimes including murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery, using child soldiers and spreading terror.

July 12th, 2009 Charles Taylor to begin his war crimes defenseTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Charles Taylor begins his defense Monday against charges he led rebels in Sierra Leone who murdered, raped and mutilated villagers in a brutal terror campaign during the country's civil war. The former Liberian president is accused of commanding and arming the rebels from his presidential palace in Monrovia.

July 6th, 2009 Prosecutors call Taylor witness list excessiveTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — The trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor could take up to four more years, if his lawyers call all their witnesses, prosecutors told judges Monday at a Sierra Leone war crimes tribunal sitting in The Hague. Taylor is due to begin his defense case next week answering 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone.

May 4th, 2009 War crimes court: No early acquittal for TaylorTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — War crimes judges say they have dismissed a motion to acquit former Liberian President Charles Taylor because he may have been responsible for mass murder, rape and mutilations in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war. The decision by the Special Court for Sierra Leone means Taylor must now present his defense on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West African nation.

April 22nd, 2009 Sierra Leone sends 3 to US to face drug chargesFREETOWN, Sierra Leone — Sierra Leone authorities say three men convicted of drug smuggling have been sent to the U.S. where they are wanted on similar charges.