Ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor says his troops were trained to avoid atrocities

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 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 he allowed human skulls at roadblocksTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — In an unusual defense against war crimes charges, former Liberian President Charles Taylor told judges Thursday that he saw nothing wrong with displaying the skulls of slain enemy soldiers at roadblocks. Taylor, 61, insisted he was trying to bring peace and the rule of law to Liberia as he testified in his own defense on the third full day at his trial.

July 16th, 2009 Taylor says he allowed skulls used at roadblocksTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor told a war crimes court Thursday he saw nothing wrong with displaying the skulls of slain fighters at roadblocks as his rebel forces swept into the country in a 1989 revolution. The invasion of Liberia and his ascent to power was a prelude to Taylor's involvement in the brutal 1991-2002 civil war in neighboring Sierra Leone, for which he is accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

July 15th, 2009 Liberia's ex-leader resumes defense testimonyTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Charles Taylor has testifed before war crimes judges that he was an anti-corruption fighter in Liberia before ousting the military in a coup to restore democracy. The former leader says war crimes accusations against him are "disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors." He is charged with 11 counts of murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers and terrorism in his role backing rebels in Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war.

July 13th, 2009 List of charges against Liberia's ex-leader Taylor Prosecutors at the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone have accused former Liberian President Charles Taylor of arming and leading rebels in 1996-2002 and being "part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against the civilian population." The court, based in Freetown, is trying Taylor in a courtroom rented from the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, due to fears the case could spark unrest in the African country. Its 2003 indictment, amended in 2006, says Taylor either oversaw or failed to prevent Sierra Leone's brutal Revolutionary United Force rebel forces from committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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 13th, 2009 A timeline of Charles Taylor's rise and fallJan. 28, 1948: Charles Taylor born in Arthington, Liberia, into a family descended from freed American slaves.

July 12th, 2009 Ex-Liberian leader to begin his war crimes defenseTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — For a year, prosecution witnesses accused former Liberian President Charles Taylor of atrocities ranging from cannibalism to commanding Sierra Leone rebels who hacked off villagers' limbs, and of selling weapons and ammunition in exchange for so-called blood diamonds. Now Taylor is giving his version of events at his trial before the U.N.-backed Special Court for 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.