or Charles Taylor
By Jaime on 8/5/2004, 8:17pm PT  

(NOTE: This entry guest blogged by jaime)

In a stunning piece of journalism, The Boston Globe has uncovered a long history of ties between former Liberian dictator and U.S. ally, Charles Taylor.

American intelligence and United Nations investigators had detailed many meetings with Al Qaeda operatives and Taylor's government even after September 11, 2001. Some in the U.S. even considered taking action.

"The Defense Department approved a special forces raid to capture Al Qaeda leaders under Taylor's protection in 2001, but called it off and never reactivated the plan, the US officials said in recent interviews, on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, senior leaders of Al Qaeda continued to receive Taylor's protection."

-Boston Globe, Aug 4, 2004

Liberia's big business, diamonds, were a top earner for Al Qaeda and their various acts of terrorism.

"Nevertheless, the UN investigation found that Ghailani, who was sent to Liberia in 1999 to help coordinate Al Qaeda investments in the diamond trade, met with Taylor, along with Al Qaeda leaders Fazhl Abdullah Mohammed, Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan. All three are wanted in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and remain on the FBI's list of 22 most wanted terrorists."

-Boston Globe, Aug 4, 2004

These revelation are stunning enough, but what is even more appalling is not just fact that Mr. Taylor was on the C.I.A. payroll, or that it took a great public outcry to get him removed from his post as President of Liberia, or that Christian Pharisee/ Mullah Pat Robertson derided the outcry against his blood money partner because President Bush was "undermining a Christian, Baptist president to bring in Muslim rebels", no...

The Terror Warriors in the Bush adminstration pledged to dismantle the terrorists and the nations that harbor them in September, yet ignored the CIA asset that funded the terrorists and the nation that harbored them. So, Mr. President? What happens when a Dictator is both with us AND against us?

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