President Taylor: A Pot Calling Tea Kettle Black

The Perspective

September 20, 2001

Recently, the Liberian government has been saying: "The civilized world can no longer afford to live in fear just because a bunch of misguided bandits called terrorists decide to hold it in bondage." While the statement is true, it should have gone a little further to include those who have committed atrocities against the Liberian people. This would have automatically included President Taylor, who is engaged in terrorist activities in the West African sub-region by supporting various rebel factions including the RUF rebels in Sierra Leone.

Hence, Taylor's call to deal with terrorism, is a classic case of pot calling tea kettle black, and should not be taken serious:

"The hands of evil have struck America, tomorrow it could be any other country. If we remain divided and silent, our enemies may gain an upper hand in their quest... Your loss is our loss, your freedom is our freedom, your pain and anguish is also our pain and anguish," Taylor said.

There is an old Liberian proverb, which says, "He who has not consoled his own people, cannot console others, unless, he is a hypocrite." In other words, the US Ambassador in Liberia, Bismarck Myrick and the American public will not be fooled by such kind words coming from a tyrant who has caused the death of over 250,000 of his own people in the past 10 years, and has driven several thousands Liberians into exile and refugee camps.

In fact, the world community knows that Mr. Taylor is no different from the Osama bin Ladens of this world. Because it is a common knowledge that Taylor runs a police state where his so-called Anti-Terrorist Unit (ATU), is referred to by the Liberian people as "Another Terrorist Unit" that has terrorized, driven most democratic minded people into exile and has killed those he called enemies.

Therefore, to exploit the September 11 tragedy at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which left thousands of Americans and foreign nationals dead and wounded, as a public relations blitz will not suffice. Talk is cheap! The world is used to Taylor and his officials making empty statements. Whatever Taylor's intentions are - It is believed that Washington is not going to improve relations with Liberia because Taylor talked tough on terrorism and called on the UN to convene a conference of terrorism.

The Liberian rogue President is so desperate to appear peace loving, until he sounded like someone who has not committed atrocities:

"We are here to do honor to our friends and motherland, the United States of America. The Liberian government and its people join the global expression of sympathy and condolence to President George W. Bush and people of the United Sates of America", Taylor said.

A spade is a spade; therefore no amount of sweet talks will make the world to see Taylor any different.

In fact, after hearing his remarks at the "special intercessory prayer," one African American quipped: "It is really strange; while we in America look to Africa as our motherland, you Liberians are calling America your motherland. What a strange twist!"

Many Liberians hope that the United Nations will take seriously Taylor's so-called 'wise suggestion' to treat with urgency the apprehension of all perpetrators of terror, which should include Taylor himself, and should not take serious his statement about - "where you [America] go there we [Liberia] will go, where you stand there we will stand, your God shall be our God, your people shall be our people."

Taylor needs to provide electricity, safe drinking water, proper sanitary condition as well hospitals to meet the Liberian people's needs first before he volunteer to offer assistance to the American people.

In short, any person who will charge vendors and peddlers who sell "crude quality photo copies of bin Laden at the rate of five Liberian dollars a piece (equivalent to five US cents)" with terrorism is himself, a terrorist, and should be treated as one.