Taylor case 'to shame Gaddafi'

2006-06-21 12:02

Utrecht - A former prosecutor who drew up a war crimes indictment against Charles Taylor said on Tuesday that the former Liberian president's trial was likely to shed light on the activities of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and a network of war profiteers.

David Crane said he had considered indicting Gaddafi, who he alleged was intimately involved in plotting to "take down" Sierra Leone.

He said: "Gaddafi wanted to geopolitically control West Africa through surrogates such as Charles Taylor." Though Gaddafi would not be on trial, the case would "name and shame him".

Full diplomatic relations

Gaddafi's support for a range of West African rebels was well known. But, in recent years, Gaddafi had tried to portray himself as a statesman with no interest in sowing unrest.

The international community had been moving to embrace a man held responsible for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Last month, the US government said that it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Libya and removing it from a list of terrorism sponsors, saying Gaddafi's government had renounced terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.

Taylor faced 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from his alleged backing of Sierra Leonean rebels, who terrorised victims by chopping off their arms, legs, ears and lips during the country's 1991-2002 civil war.

Taylor's trial moves to The Hague

Although the charges referred only to Sierra Leone, Taylor was also accused of fomenting violence in his homeland and elsewhere in West Africa.

Crane, now a law professor at Syracuse University in the US and a guest lecturer at Utrecht University, prosecuted the Sierra Leone war crimes cases for four years until last July.

Taylor's trial was being held at The Hague to avoid a feared backlash among his supporters who still commanded influence in West Africa.

Crane originally objected to moving the court from West Africa, where victims could attend the trial.

But, he acknowledged on Tuesday that Taylor's influence was still pervasive in the region and that the fears of igniting more instability were real.

Silva due to take leave from court

Crane said: "He's been terrorising that part of the world for at least a decade. He has incredible power, influence - almost mythical powers. People are afraid of him."

Crane would not be directly involved in the trial, which likely would be prosecuted by his former deputy Desmond de Silva.

Crane said de Silva was due to take leave from the court at the end of June, but return in January for the trial. Crane was confident of a conviction.

He said: "I wouldn't have signed the indictment unless I was convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. You can't make an error in this business. You can't have Charles Taylor acquitted."

He said he expected victims to testify about crimes that took place and experts to explain the context of the conflict.

- AP