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Old 07-02-2003, 02:59 AM   #1
Grojlach
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Three recent articles on this subject to get the topic started...

Up to 300 killed in battle for Monrovia


Agencies
Thursday June 26, 2003

Liberia's health minister today reported 200-300 civilians had been killed and 1,000 wounded in a two-day battle for the country's besieged capital, as morgue workers described mortuaries filled to overflowing.
Soldiers commandeered private vehicles to collect more bodies from the streets of Monrovia at daylight this morning, working to a backdrop of pounding rain and crackling gunfire.
Monrovia was on edge but calmer early today, with the shelling, rockets and frantic refugee movements of the past two days silenced.
The Associated Press reported that there was no indication of retreat by rebels fighting to take the city, and unconfirmed reports had rebels sighted around the port, a key objective well into Monrovia.
Reuters reported that fighters loyal to the government had pushed rebels out of the capital's port on today.
Military officials said rebels had retreated to the area around St Paul's River Bridge, 6 miles from the heart of Monrovia.
Liberia's rebels are driving home a three-year war to oust warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, a newly indicted UN-war-crimes suspect who launched the West African nation into 14 years of conflict in 1989.
Early today, the health minister Peter Coleman told the Associated Press that the past two days of fighting in the city had killed between 200-300 civilians, and injured 1,000. There was no word on government or rebel casualties.
Mortuary workers put the civilian toll in the "hundreds", describing morgues stacked with dead.
Mr Coleman said the dead included at least nine Liberians killed when rockets struck an evacuated US diplomatic residential compound yesterday. Thousands of Monrovia's residents had taken refuge in the compound, which is across the street from the heavily guarded US embassy.
The US state department confirmed late Tuesday that two embassy workers, one a gardener, one a guard, both Liberians, had been killed at the residential compound.
In neighbouring Sierra Leone, UN helicopters and crews were on standby in the capital, Freetown. UN spokesman Patrick Coker said crews were on "very short notice" to fly to Monrovia for evacuation for remaining UN workers.
French military helicopters and a French warship evacuated 530 foreigners from Monrovia earlier this month.
The US embassy remains staffed and open in Liberia, a nation founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century.
The European Union, UN and international aid groups also are maintaining a reduced presence there.
Source: Guardian


US urged to intervene in Liberia


David Clarke in Monrovia
Monday June 30, 2003

West African countries yesterday urged the US to join them in sending a force to stop Liberia's war, and a UN security council mission said it expected the world body to back intervention.
Two failed rebel assaults on Monrovia this month have left an estimated 700 people dead and prompted calls for a peacekeeping force from the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, Britain, France and legions of Liberians.
Because of historic ties to a country founded by freed American slaves, the US is under most pressure to step in to help end the fighting in a war that has spread turmoil in west Africa for more than a decade.
The senior official of the Economic Community of West African States said in Nigeria that a credible force was needed to separate the warring sides.
"We can provide the manpower," Mohammed ibn Chambas told reporters. "But we need material support and participation of some of the members of the [UN] security council, especially the United States."
President George Bush has called for the resignation of Liberia's president, Charles Taylor, a former warlord wanted for war crimes by an international court.
But there has been little official sign that Mr Bush would be willing to send in US troops. Washington well remembers the military's humiliating withdrawal from a humanitarian mission to Somalia in 1993 that left 18 Americans dead.
A visiting UN security council mission met regional officials and Nigeria's president, Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abuja yesterday. Nigeria would be a likely candidate to send peacekeepers; it dominated a force that intervened in Liberia in the 1990s.
"We shall report back to the [security] council about the request made by Ecowas for support in the proposed peace mission, and I am sure the council will be willing to help," said Britain's UN ambassador, Jeremy Greenstock, the leader of the mission.
Mr Greenstock publicly urged the US last week to lead a multinational force.
Source: Guardian


Taylor gives his terms for quitting


Owen Bowcott
Wednesday July 2, 2003

President Charles Taylor of Liberia, indicted for war crimes in neighbouring Sierra Leone and besieged by rebel forces, will stand down if the case against him is dropped, one of his ministers said yesterday.
As the UN prepared to evacuate refugees from the capital, Monrovia, Mr Taylor's "special emissary" tried to negotiate a process of "national reconciliation" without retribution.
Samuel Jackson told a meeting at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London that if Mr Taylor stepped down there would be retribution against his supporters in which thousands would be killed. But Mr Taylor was willing to go if there was a peace process.
Mr Jackson met Foreign Office officials to discuss a possible international peacekeeping force for Liberia.
Britain, France and the US believe Mr Taylor has to go. Sanctions against Liberian timber are due to be introduced in a fortnight.
Asked what the president would do when he left power, Mr Jackson replied: "He sees his future as a coffee or cocoa farmer, his home in Monrovia converted to a presidential library. He will be the granddaddy of Liberian politics."
Source: Guardian


Older articles:
26-06-2003 Civilians flee as rebels advance in Liberia's capital
22-06-2003 Liberia lives in terror as tyrant defies West
21-06-2003 Liberia's child soldiers play war games with real bullets
18-06-2003 Ceasefire in Liberia raises peace hopes
15-06-2003 Sense of despair haunts the African Renaissance
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Old 07-02-2003, 09:56 AM   #2
Felix The Assassin
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And your Point Is?

Well let's see now.
We have roughly 6k troops on the ground in the Balkans.
150K in the sands of Iraq.
Roughly 8k in that other God-forsaken-place Afghanistan.

Source. Stars And Stripes European Edition.

Where exactly would these troops come from?
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Old 07-02-2003, 10:12 AM   #3
Rokenn
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Did ya know that President Taylor took a one million dollar payment from Al-Queda in exchange for harboring Al-queda forces and leaders? That he has been a big supplier of diamond to Al-queda to assit them in making their money more portable?

Unlike Iraq where the Al-queda connection was tenuois at best, the Liberian connection is well documented and been confirmed by many sources. Tough luck for the people of Liberia they have no oil.
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Old 07-02-2003, 11:52 AM   #4
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Sounds like the [perfect job for the UN and the Eu. No need for the USA to go "Imposing it's will" on people. After all don't want that Hegemony to get any bigger or more dominant.

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Old 07-02-2003, 12:03 PM   #5
Rokenn
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Quote:
Originally posted by MagiK:

Sounds like the [perfect job for the UN and the Eu. No need for the USA to go "Imposing it's will" on people. After all don't want that Hegemony to get any bigger or more dominant.

But our President stated before the world that the countries that harbor terrorist will be treated as terrorist themselves. But a guess, as in other matters, some terrorists are more equal then others. He has failed to live up to his other promises, why should this one be any different?
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Old 07-02-2003, 12:59 PM   #6
Cerek the Barbaric
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Exactly why should the U.S. "lead the multinational force"? Sounds to me like there is overwhelming agreement and support among the EU and UN on this issue. This would be the perfect opportunity for those forces to prove they don't need the U.S. - that they are quite capable of carrying out cohesive and coordinated military efforts without the U.S. playing the major role. That would go a long way towards putting the arrogant U.S. "back in it's place" (so to speak) in regards to its position and importance to the UN.

Also, if the U.S. DID step in, the very next day, ALL those hundreds of civilian deaths would be attributed to the American War Machine. That doesn't sound like a wise tactical move to me.

Maybe the EU and UN believe America should take the lead because Liberia was founded by freed American slaves. That may be, but that also means they are no longer American citizens. I could use the same logic to say that Britain should take responsibility and lead any military effort should this same situation occur in Australia. After all, Australia was "founded" by former Britain citizens.
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Old 07-02-2003, 01:01 PM   #7
MagiK
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rokenn:
He has failed to live up to his other promises, why should this one be any different?

Which ones? As far as I can tell he is doing everything he said he was going to do. The FBI and CIA are still prsecuting the war on terorism, the defense department is working on it. Why should we let outsiders decide what our timetable and agendas are?
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Old 07-02-2003, 01:10 PM   #8
Cerek the Barbaric
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Quote:
Originally posted by Rokenn:
quote:
Originally posted by MagiK:

Sounds like the [perfect job for the UN and the Eu. No need for the USA to go "Imposing it's will" on people. After all don't want that Hegemony to get any bigger or more dominant.

But our President stated before the world that the countries that harbor terrorist will be treated as terrorist themselves. But a guess, as in other matters, some terrorists are more equal then others. He has failed to live up to his other promises, why should this one be any different? [/QUOTE]Our President has also been thoroughly criticized for even hinting that Syria and Iran could be "future targets" for military action for harboring terrorists.

And now he is being criticized for NOT declaring military action against yet another 3rd World country. I guess some "terrorist harboring" countries are more equal than others also.

Besides, President Bush has shown his support by joining other allies calling for the resignation of Liberia's President. The U.S. is exerting the same effort and pressure on Liberia's president as the rest of the UN and EU nations. Since these nations were so strongly opposed to our last military effort, I would have thought they would be proud to see us FINALLY exercising some restraint and looking for a non-military resolution to the conflict.
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Old 07-02-2003, 01:27 PM   #9
Rokenn
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Quote:
Originally posted by MagiK:
quote:
Originally posted by Rokenn:
[qb] He has failed to live up to his other promises, why should this one be any different?

Which ones?
[/QUOTE]Like the civil administration that was supposed to have been in place in Iraq, that has been posponed.
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Old 07-02-2003, 01:29 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally posted by MagiK:

Sounds like the [perfect job for the UN and the Eu. No need for the USA to go "Imposing it's will" on people. After all don't want that Hegemony to get any bigger or more dominant.

and

Quote:
Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric:
Exactly why should the U.S. "lead the multinational force"? Sounds to me like there is overwhelming agreement and support among the EU and UN on this issue. This would be the perfect opportunity for those forces to prove they don't need the U.S. - that they are quite capable of carrying out cohesive and coordinated military efforts without the U.S. playing the major role. That would go a long way towards putting the arrogant U.S. "back in it's place" (so to speak) in regards to its position and importance to the UN.

Maybe the EU and UN believe America should take the lead because Liberia was founded by freed American slaves. That may be, but that also means they are no longer American citizens.
As in most African contries at least some of their current problems in Liberia can be traced back in time.

In 1822 American philantrophist bought land in Africa for former slaves and in 1847 Liberia was formed as a republic - (This was done after a british model in neighbouring Sierra Leone) - with Monrovia as Capital (named after U.S. President Monroe)

Since then Liberia has recieved considerable support from USA.

Up though the 1960'ies and 70'ies mining and rubber (the two main exports) were controlled respectively by american/swedish and american buisniss-interests - which to a great extend used slave-like labour - gathered by the government (controlled by coastal-dwelling former slaves) from the native tribes living inland. A lot of the soldiers in the current conflict are children of these former 'slaves'.

A similar situation (civil war etc.) occured in Sierra Leone until British forces imposed a peace settlement there - indectly acknowlegdeing their colonial heretigde (Another example thereof is the French invervention with 3000 Forign Legioneers in Ivory Coast).

The call for an American invervention in Libaria is based on that USA created the contry (and american interests 'helped' create some of the current ones) and therefore USA should help it with its current problems.

At least that is the idea - a pretty one, but unlikely to come to fruition, despite Nigeria has stated that itself and other west-African contries will send 3.000 troops if USA will lead with 2.000 of their own. Peronally I think that Mogadishu is still so fresh in the memory in Pentagon that the planners there won't want another 'African Adventure'.

Finally it is alledged that President Taylor recieved American aid while fighting his own rebellion that started him on his way to power. (completed in a democratic election in 1997). Taylor has also intervened in/spurred on civil wars in Sierra Leone (for which he has been indicted for war crimes) and more resently in Ivory Coast (creating a third faction in a previously two-sided civil-war)

[ 07-02-2003, 01:43 PM: Message edited by: Ar-Cunin ]
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