Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Never mind

(update below)

I guess today's meeting with Bush was too important for President Obasanjo to screw up.

Charles Taylor, after attempting escape on Monday night from extradition to Sierra Leone for 17 war crimes indictments, was just arrested as he tried to sneak into neighboring Cameroon.

Obasanjo had at first resisted surrendering Taylor, but bowed to the request of new Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, saying that Taylor was not a prisoner in Nigeria and that the Liberians could take him whenever they wanted.

UPDATE: 3/29/2006, 7:02 AM. The New York Times also gives front-(web)page coverage to the recapture. Lydia Polgreen, writing for the Times, notes that President Sirleaf of Liberia was "harassed" by Congress during her recent visit to the US to ensure that Taylor sat for war crimes in either Liberia or Sierra Leone. Knowing full well what havoc he could wreak if he returned to Liberia, she was reluctant.

Well, Nigerian security forces are first taking Taylor to Abuja, then directly to Liberia. Hopefully Taylor's supporters will make good on their pledge to let him sit for the prosecution of his indictments.

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