LDF's Response To LINA

The Liberian saga, in all its beastly and horrific dimensions, continues to travel on a bumpy road, and the search for the truth behind the launching of a gruesome genocide that saw 250,000 people perish in hails of bullets continues. In this all important search for the rationale behind the horrors, the institution and entrenchment of "You kill my ma, you kill my pa I'll vote for you "political culture," we are getting facts from unlikely sources.

Taylor's new mouthpiece, in what he has declared as a "Cyber War against Liberia", stands out as a viable source in this contest for hearts and minds which has already seen the closure of two independent radio stations, the looting of their equipment, intimidation and arrest of journalists, etc. The new Liberian News Agency (LINA), a new army in Taylor's self-declared "Cyber War", is in a predicament. Once funded by some European countries desirous of seeing accountable and independent journalism in this backyard country, its facilities were destroyed (like all other media facilities) by the very people it now serves. It would have been re-funded, but the Germans in particular insisted that the so-called Government gives LINA an autonomous status, meaning that the government should ensure that the news agency should not be transformed into a barren propaganda mouthpiece of the new authorities or those coming after them. As expected, Taylor shouted to hell with the Germans. As if his Liberia Communications Network, equipped with stolen and looted materials, was not enough in the circulation of terror in words, he insisted that LINA joins his band of heartless propagandists in the service of evil and repeating the master's voice.

But despite LINA's sorry state, it must be congratulated. Now that the enviable Star Radio internet service is shutdown, this Taylor organ (Nazi-style) gives us the opportunity to get into the minds of the destroyers of the Liberian nation, the "you kill my ma, you kill my pa" politicians. (We have received reports that the government has distributed US$10,000 each to a number of defunct newspapers, thus providing them with temporary life-blood in the "Cyber War to counter the independent press. Many have reappeared with pro-government banners and stories.) This is exactly what LINA did in its "Rejoinder to you kill my ma, you kill my pa I will vote for you," a commentary in response to one written by the US-based Liberian Democratic Future(LDF). LINA tells us that:

"'You kill my ma, you kill my pa, I will vote for you', sung during the 1997 campaign season that ushered into power the NPP (Taylor's National Patriotic Party) by masses of the electorate in Liberia was a vociferous protest to the quasi-politicians who had nothing to offer our people but a plethora of half-baked reasons why they should not vote for the NPP, primary among was that they were killers. The song was a sincere and genuine expression of the conviction of the people that they knew the NPP was the right choice and that they wanted the world to know it. In the game called democracy, number matters, and number always does represent the wishes of the masses. Under the NPP-led government of President Charles G. Taylor, the country has seen a resurgence of hope, faith and determination for self-reliance, self-sufficiency and the maintenance of territorial integrity. The only drawback is the fact that Liberians at home and abroad are deliberately militating against their own people and government. They are writing and saying the worst negative things about the government, spreading disinformation and lies and lobbying against economic aid to Liberia because they hate President Taylor."

So, here is what Liberia's new leaders, elected in the "freest and fairest" elections ever, we are told by President Jimmy Carter who appeased us that abuses under people elected on a political platform of "You kill my ma, you kill pa" were "inconceivable.". Indeed, if Liberians, through stampeding the streets and singing "You kill my pa, you kill my ma I will vote for you" told the world that they preferred to elect individuals on their record of killing their parents, then what is wrong with other Liberians reminding these "you kill my ma "officials of their own record? This song, however insane ordinary minds may see it, accurately summarizes the character of today's Liberian rulers.

People win elections on the basis of what they have done in their societies, on the basis of their past. Thus, a political program becomes an instrument to tell voters what they should expect. Based on their deeds, the electorate can decide to reject them or endorse them. Taylor's political program, so zealously sung by his disciples, was that he killed the parents of those who elected him. Perhaps Liberians voted for the type of Liberia they now have. They voted for a repetition of the carnage, theft, and stupidity now spreading as politics. (Imagine President Taylor delivering a recent State of the Nation address in the midst of the worst chaos and poverty ever and, according to LINA, selecting to dwell on how "beautiful" Liberian women are, how" good the food" is, how "different" Liberians are from the people on the this planet! Indeed they have to be "Extra Terrestrial-ET" - to endorse "You kill my ma, you kill my pa" political culture. When men have nothing to offer, they sink into madness).

And what is this record that these "you kill my ma, you kill my pa" politicians now so detest and wish not to be told? It is record inundated with terror and theft waged in the name of politics, of running a state, with the prime actor in this cast of terror, Charles Taylor, being accepted by men like Nelson Mandela, (a world model of humility and decency) as a decent person, a statesman. In this masquerade as a politician, Taylor claims as one of his achievements the maintaining of "Liberia's territorial integrity." But the evidence since he entered Liberia via Cote d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso is otherwise. According to the Canadian - a research team in a recent report, "Liberia has become a major criminal entreport for diamonds, guns, money laundering, terror, and other forms of organized crimes." Recent press reports reveal that Sierra Leone's insane amputator called Masqita is training 1500 rebels with Taylor's approval since this man masterminded the invasion of Freetown, leaving the city burnt, and over 5000 killed. Soon, Guinea will suffer the yoke the of "you kill my ma" Liberians. For the first time in its history, Liberia has become an incubator for West Africa's destabilization. With such politicians of "you kill my ma" now accepted and treated with statesmanship as if they are normal individuals, can anyone therefore, blame Ugandan cultists, over 300 of them, who recently burnt themselves because they concluded the world was coming to an end? Probity and moral values have been sacrificed on the altar of loot and greed.

But we must keep reminding the "you kill my ma, you kill pa" politicians of their deeds, their "contributions" to Liberia which "convinced" the voters to "elect" them. However much they may kick and shout "agent provocateurs", we must constantly tell them it is a crime against humanity to spearhead the butchering of 250,0000 helpless, innocent, poor people in the name of providing them a better politico-economic environment only to offer them continued terror and theft.

We must remind Taylor and his apostles of doom that their scenario for Liberia means continued poverty, entrenched illiteracy and ignorance, all prime factors for the resurgence of not of hope and determination as they claim, but of "you kill my ma, you kill pa" electorate, foot soldiers of loot and carnage that urgently need redemption if the country is to be redeemed. Unquestionably, Taylor and his agents of theft and terror are indeed benefiting from the seeds of ignorance, illiteracy and backwardness sowed centuries ago when the Americo-Liberians ruling oligarchy declared what is now Liberia a state. Parents make future plans for their children. They invest for their children. So the Taylors, the Goodridges, the Ureys, the Hortons, and others who are proponents of Americo-Liberians supremacy, are living off their parents investment, reaping what they sowed: unimagined spread of illiteracy, mass ignorance which reduced Liberia to nothingness in terms of socioeconomic development. Hence, they have resumed purchasing of homes in America (as their parents, and great, great, great... grandparents did) as they intensify the worst ever onslaught on Liberia's natural resources intensifies. (See The Perspective report on logging in today's Liberia.)

But it is not only the wartime record of these marauding, looting, killing "You kill my ma, you kill my pa" rulers that need constant discussion and reminding. It is the replication of these terror tactics since President Carter told us in July 1997 that by electing "You kill my ma" politicians, such things were "inconceivable." A European paper, in a recent story on Liberia, used the headline "Bandits will remain bandits even if they rule..." This is what the world thinks of these "You kill my ma" politicians who now claim to be giving Liberia a "resurgence of hope" by clamping down on free speech and compelling Liberians to pay for the bullets, guns, and drugs used to annihilate 250,000 of their compatriots.

However, LINA has helped us by admitting and justifying this unmatched terrorism. Let's review some of the justifications given by them for the horrors waged on a helpless, poor nation in the name of greed and graft. According to LINA:

"During the civil war, Liberians were at war with each other and lots of atrocities were committed, over 150,000 Liberians, including some politicians..President Taylor has apologized.. "

What an irony? How soon men forget. Taylor's famous and most repeated statement is "I will do it and apologize..." This is a man who calculates his crimes and then proceed to apologize with plans to commit more atrocities and apologize, apologize, etc. Hence, the prevailing thinking within some Americo-Liberian circles is for us to forget, and not to discuss how Jackson F. Doe, Stephen Yekeson, Moses Duopu, Patrick Biddle, etc., etc., etc., an endless list of African-Liberian politicians who were carefully selected and systematically butchered under the commands of Charles Taylor, a command religiously obeyed by his "You kill my ma, you kill my pa" disciples. Yes, in war, people are killed. But this was not a war. It was a systematic, well-planned and executed selection of African-Liberians by Americos who are benefiting for the centuries of ingrained ignorance entrenched by their great, great, great, great grandfathers and mothers.

Yes, people were killed. But we wonder why Ernest Eastman, captured by "You kill my ma" troops in Bong Mines and facing imminent execution, was swiftly rescued by Taylor? Why wasn't Jackson F. Doe, seeking protection under the NPFL as Taylor admitted his presence, was butchered by the very NPFL "you kill my ma" troops"? "Why? Why? Why the Nazi-style identification of African-Liberians for elimination? Except for the participants in the selective slaughter of their compatriots, participants like Nyudueh Morkonmana, Galawolo and many other African-Liberians on Taylor's killing bandwagon, not a single African-Liberian politician or imminent person we know of survived NPFL custody. This we cannot, never forget. If it was a revenge for the execution of 13 Americo-Liberians in 1980, an execution in which Mr. Taylor actively encouraged and participated in, then indeed the message is clear: 250,000 for 13. This, we cannot forget .

Taylor's claims that Krahns, Mandingoes are living in peace, along with the justifications for forcibly evicting people from their private homes and gradually transforming Monrovia into a military barracks, deserve no response. Daily news report from various independent sources can best serve the reader. Our only question is, Was it all worth it? Nations embrace upheavals for better alternatives, better options, but when such upheavals give birth to more terror compelling people to morn the "good old days under the Doe dictatorship, we must ask, Was it worth it? Butchering 250,000 and reducing the country to rubbles only implant a terror state. Was "militarily "overtaking" Doe worth it?"

Issued this 29th day of March, 2000, in the City of Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Signed: Siahyonkron Nyanseor
Chairperson, LDF

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