[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 3, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H2762-H2765]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CALLING ON GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA TO TRANSFER CHARLES GHANKAY TAYLOR TO 
                     SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 127) calling on 
the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to transfer Charles 
Ghankay Taylor, former President of the Republic of Liberia, to the 
Special Court for Sierra Leone to be tried for war crimes, crimes 
against humanity, and other serious violations of international 
humanitarian law.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 127

       Whereas on January 16, 2002, as requested by United Nations 
     Security Council Resolution 1315 (2000), an agreement was 
     signed by the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone and 
     the United Nations to establish the Special Court for Sierra 
     Leone;
       Whereas the Special Court for Sierra Leone was given the 
     power to prosecute persons who have committed and ``bear the 
     greatest responsibility'' for war crimes, crimes against 
     humanity, other serious violations of international 
     humanitarian law, and certain crimes under Sierra Leonean law 
     committed within the territory of Sierra Leone during that 
     country's brutal civil war during the period after November 
     30, 1996;
       Whereas on June 4, 2003, the Special Court for Sierra Leone 
     unsealed an indictment issued on March 3, 2003, against 
     Charles Ghankay Taylor, former President of the Republic of 
     Liberia, charging him with seventeen counts of war crimes, 
     crimes against humanity, and other violations of 
     international humanitarian law relating to his role in 
     directly supporting and materially, logistically, and 
     politically abetting the rebel Revolutionary United Front 
     (RUF) and its actions, including its notorious, widespread, 
     and systematic attacks upon the civilian population of Sierra 
     Leone;
       Whereas the indictment of Charles Taylor includes charges 
     of terrorizing civilians and subjecting civilians to 
     collective punishment, mass murder, sexual slavery and rape, 
     abduction and hostage taking, severe mutilation, including 
     the cutting off of limbs and other physical violence and 
     inhumane acts, enslavement, forced labor, forced military 
     conscription, including forced conscription of children, 
     theft, arson, looting, and pillage, and widespread attacks 
     upon the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and 
     humanitarian workers by the Revolutionary United Front 
     combatants;
       Whereas the Revolutionary United Front was notorious for 
     brutally murdering and torturing civilians, including the 
     amputation of limbs with machetes, and by carving ``RUF'' 
     onto the bodies of thousands of victims, including women and 
     children;
       Whereas the Revolutionary United Front made widespread use 
     of abducted children as laborers and soldiers and forced many 
     of the abducted children to perform severe human rights 
     abuses, constituting a serious crime under the jurisdiction 
     of the Special Court for Sierra Leone;
       Whereas on August 11, 2003, Charles Taylor departed Liberia 
     for Calabar, Nigeria, where he was granted asylum and, 
     according to press reports, agreed to end his involvement in 
     Liberian politics;
       Whereas in September 2003 the Government of the Federal 
     Republic of Nigeria warned Taylor that it would ``not 
     tolerate any breach of this condition and others which forbid 
     him from engaging in active communications with anyone 
     engaged in political, illegal or governmental activities in 
     Liberia'';
       Whereas the United States, Nigeria, and other concerned 
     nations have contributed extensive political, human, 
     military, financial, and material resources toward the 
     building of peace and stability in Liberia and Sierra Leone;

[[Page H2763]]

       Whereas the Special Court for Sierra Leone has contributed 
     to developing the rule of law in Sierra Leone and is 
     deserving of support;
       Whereas on March 17, 2005, the United Nations Secretary-
     General reported to the United Nations Security Council that 
     Charles Taylor's ``former military commanders and business 
     associates, as well as members of his political party, 
     maintain regular contact with him and are planning to 
     undermine the peace process'' in Liberia;
       Whereas David Crane, Chief Prosecutor at the Special Court 
     for Sierra Leone, stated: ``Unless and until Charles Taylor 
     is brought to justice, there will be no peace. Charles Taylor 
     is a big cloud hanging over Liberia. He is still ruling the 
     country from his house arrest in Calabar. His agents remain 
     influential in the country.'';
       Whereas on March 22, 2005, Jacques Klein, the United 
     Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General to 
     Liberia, stated: ``Charles Taylor is a psychopath and a 
     killer . . . He's still very much involved [in and is . . . ] 
     intrusive in Liberian politics.''; and
       Whereas Charles Taylor remains a serious present and 
     continuing threat to Liberian and West African subregional 
     political stability, security, and peace, and to United 
     States interests in the region: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress urges the Government of the 
     Federal Republic of Nigeria to expeditiously transfer Charles 
     Ghankay Taylor, former President of the Republic of Liberia, 
     to the jurisdiction of the Special Court for Sierra Leone to 
     undergo a fair and open trial for war crimes, crimes against 
     humanity, and other serious violations of international 
     humanitarian law.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly).
  Mrs. KELLY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 127, a resolution calling on Nigeria to turn over the former 
Liberian President Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra 
Leone. The Special Court has indicted Taylor, who is allegedly 
responsible for the murder, rape, and mutilation of 1.2 million people 
during the war in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s.
  It has now come to the surface that the al Qaeda operatives both 
before and after September 11 have viewed West Africa as an effective 
sanctuary and as a place to launder money. Evidence suggests that 
Taylor himself was personally involved in serving as a middleman 
between al Qaeda and West Africa's multimillion dollar diamond trade. 
The illicit international trade in so-called blood diamonds, an asset 
that is virtually untraceable and easily convertible into cash, helped 
fund many of West Africa's wars in the 1990s and clearly is a suspected 
means of finance for terrorists.
  The United States estimates that between $70 million and $100 million 
is still smuggled out of Sierra Leone each year, despite the coming of 
peace and the international accords to block illicit trafficking. 
Taylor was a top conduit for smuggling West Africa diamonds which 
helped bankroll the insurgency that brought him to power in Liberia. 
Even though he is under house arrest, Taylor is able to use his 
financial resources and contacts to ensure that he has the protection 
of whoever wins the October election. The new government will make sure 
that Taylor can return home, never to face the court and allow him to 
continue to pose a great threat to the region.
  This is a man who has been indicted on 17 counts of war crimes and 
crimes against humanity. We must take action to ensure justice and 
accountability. We can no longer allow Taylor to evade responsibility 
for his unconscionable actions. Taylor poses a clear and present danger 
to West Africa and U.S. interests. With the mandate of the court set to 
expire at the end of this year, we must act quickly to turn him over to 
the SCSL.
  Removing the potential for his return to power in the region will aid 
us significantly in learning better the extent of his activities. This 
information may be of great relevance to our national security.
  As a cosponsor of this resolution, I am very hopeful that with its 
agreement this administration will speak out actively and support 
Taylor's immediate extradition.
  I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos), and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) who worked 
especially hard on this issue; and I certainly do thank the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the committee.
  I encourage support of everyone for this very important measure.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I first 
would like to commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) for 
introducing this timely and important resolution, which calls on the 
Nigerian Government to hand over former Liberian President Charles 
Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
  Madam Speaker, the stability of West Africa and many innocent lives 
may be in jeopardy if Charles Taylor is allowed to avoid justice for 
the horrendous crimes he committed during the Sierra Leone civil war.
  There is no doubt that the Nigerian Government stepped in and helped 
end that civil war and brought peace to Liberia by offering Taylor 
exile. The terms of that exile stated, however, that he was not to 
interfere in the internal affairs of Liberia.
  According to the U.N. Secretary General, Charles Taylor is in regular 
contact with former military commanders, business associates, and 
members of his political party. Ominously, his departing statement when 
forced into exile, that he would return to Liberia, remains his goal.
  Madam Speaker, Charles Taylor is an international criminal of the 
worst order. He was singularly responsible for using conflict diamonds 
to fund armed terrorist groups to destabilize Sierra Leone. He financed 
the notorious Revolutionary United Front terrorists, who in turn 
recruited children and used them to terrorize their own communities. 
And he is responsible for innocent civilians having their limbs and 
other body parts chopped off.
  I am baffled by the reluctance of the Government of Nigeria to 
transfer this criminal Charles Taylor to the Special Court where he 
belongs. Not only is there strong evidence that he was a brutal 
dictator and a warmonger as president of Liberia; he has violated the 
very conditions his host government laid down for him to remain in 
their custody.
  I see absolutely no reason, Madam Speaker, why Nigeria should 
continue to offer Charles Taylor undeserved sanctuary so that he can 
once again pull together a criminal network to terrorize the people of 
West Africa.
  The relationship between the United States and Nigeria is strong, and 
Nigeria remains an important ally of ours in Africa. They should not 
jeopardize this relationship for the likes of Charles Taylor.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 127.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the distinguished 
chairman, also the author of this resolution.
  Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith) for yielding me this time.
  I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 127. This resolution 
calls on the Government of Nigeria to transfer Charles Taylor, the 
former president of Nigeria, to the Special Court for Sierra Leone so 
that he can be tried for war crimes. And I would like to thank the 
gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), ranking member, and the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Chairman Smith) for their support of this resolution and also 
for their support over the years for the establishment of a Special 
Court.
  Madam Speaker, Charles Taylor has been indicted on 17 counts, 17 
counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Special Court 
for the role that he played during Sierra Leone's brutal war. This 
hybrid court, which has been supported by this body, has been given 
jurisdiction over, in the terms of that agreement, ``those who bear the 
greatest responsibility'' for

[[Page H2764]]

the atrocities and human rights violations in this now-past war. 
Charles Taylor is at the top of that list.
  During the late 1990s, then-President Taylor of Liberia supported the 
Revolutionary United Front, or RUF as it is commonly known, which was 
designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization. He 
supported it in neighboring Sierra Leone in West Africa, and the RUF 
was notorious for hacking the limbs off their political opponents, even 
young children. When I chaired the Africa Subcommittee, we hosted some 
of these victims on Capitol Hill. We held numerous hearings dating back 
to 1998, examining the chaos in West Africa caused, orchestrated by 
Charles Taylor.
  Employed by the RUF were child soldiers. Investigative reporter Doug 
Farah described what life was like for child soldiers in his book 
``Blood from Stones.'' And in his book he said: ``One thing the 
children do remember vividly is the preparation for what they called 
`mayhem days,' sprees of killing and raping that lasted until the 
participants collapsed from exhaustion. They said they were given 
colored pills, most likely amphetamines, and razor blade slits near 
their temples, where cocaine was put directly into their bloodstreams. 
The ensuing days would be a blur. The children often remembered only 
the feeling of being invincible before the drugs wore off.''
  This was Charles Taylor's view of West Africa. Yet today Charles 
Taylor safely resides in exile in Nigeria.

                              {time}  1545

  In August 2003, some believe that removing Taylor from Liberia and 
giving him exile would prevent Liberia and West Africa from 
destabilization. Instead of facing justice at the Special Court in 
Freetown, Sierra Leone, Taylor was given a seaside villa in Calabar, 
Nigeria. In exchange, Taylor would refrain from engaging in political 
activity.
  Nearly 2 years after the exile deal, Taylor is still very much 
involved in Liberian politics as that Nation prepares for elections in 
the fall. According to the United Nations reports, his ``former 
military commanders and business associates, as well as members of his 
political party, maintain regular contact with him and are planning to 
undermine the peace process in Liberia.'' Now, this peace process, 
incidentally, has been supported by the United States and Congress with 
hundreds of millions of dollars.
  As the resolution points out, David Crane, Chief Prosecutor at the 
Court, has stated, ``Unless and until Charles Taylor is brought to 
justice, there will be no peace in Liberia.'' The U.N. Secretary 
General's Special Representative to Liberia is Jacques Klein. Jacques 
Klein has said, ``Charles Taylor is a psychopath and a killer. He is 
still very much involved in and is intrusive in Liberian politics.''
  Madam Speaker, Charles Taylor remains a serious and continuing threat 
to West African peace and security, which is counter to U.S. interests 
as well.
  I am hopeful that Nigerian President Obasanjo does the right thing 
and hands Taylor over to the Special Court. Among others, the Nigerian 
Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Bar Association have criticized 
the exile deal. President Obasanjo is in Washington this week. By 
passing this resolution, there will be no question where the U.S. House 
of Representatives stands.
  Madam Speaker, I urge the government of Nigeria to transfer Charles 
Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone so that he can be tried 
for war crimes and that justice can be served. It is time for Charles 
Taylor to face up to his crimes. This resolution deserves the strong 
support of the House.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I want to thank my good friend and colleague for authoring this 
resolution, which calls on the government of Nigeria to transfer the 
former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor, to the Special Court for 
Sierra Leone, and for bringing it before us today.
  In August of 2003, as a vicious war engulfed the Liberian capital of 
Monrovia, the government of Nigeria made a bold offer. In the interest 
of peace, they would offer asylum to Liberia's pariah President, 
Charles Taylor. The decision to host an indicted war criminal that had 
terrorized his people and fomented conflict throughout West Africa 
could not have been an easy one. I shudder to think of the countless 
lives which surely would have been lost had Charles Taylor been allowed 
to remain in Liberia and continue his reign of terror. Thanks in no 
small part to Nigeria, the war in Liberia now has ended, a transitional 
government is preparing for historic elections, and Liberians, at long 
last, may have the opportunity to live in peace.
  But Taylor's asylum deal did not come without conditions. Under the 
terms of the agreement, Taylor reportedly is prohibited from 
communicating with anyone engaged in political, illegal, or 
governmental activities in Liberia. By all accounts, he repeatedly and 
unabashedly has violated that agreement.
  Further, the asylum did not grant Taylor amnesty for his past crimes. 
This warlord-turned-President-turned-war criminal has worked long and 
hard to earn the reputation of ``the cancer of West Africa.'' He is 
alleged to be cooperating with international terrorist organizations. 
He has engaged in the illicit trade in blood diamonds in violation of 
U.S. sanctions. He is linked to the proliferation of small arms 
throughout the region. He has fomented conflict not only in Liberia, 
but also in neighboring Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Cote d'Ivoire. In 
sum, Charles Taylor has destabilized the entire sub-region of West 
Africa, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced in his wake.
  But it was Taylor's active support for the Revolutionary United 
Front, or the RUF, of Sierra Leone, a rebel group notorious, as my 
colleague pointed out just a moment ago, for hacking off the limbs of 
innocent civilians, including women and children, which earned him an 
indictment by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. That indictment, 
which included 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, 
reads like a grotesque horror novel.
  The Special Court for Sierra Leone, a court which this Congress 
actively supports, is expected to conclude its work this year. That 
cannot be done, however, if Taylor is not transferred from Freetown 
immediately. Furthermore, there can be no peace in Liberia or in West 
Africa so long as Taylor is allowed to maintain influence and act as a 
menace to his neighbors. The clock is ticking, Madam Speaker, while the 
legitimacy of the Special Court and the stability of West Africa hang 
in the balance. The time to transfer Charles Taylor to the Special 
Court for prosecution is now.
  Charles Taylor, Madam Speaker, has repeatedly violated the terms of 
his asylum in Nigeria, as the government of Nigeria itself has 
acknowledged. Consequently, the government of Nigeria would be 
justified in ending that asylum and turning Taylor over to the Special 
Court, as we now are urging him to do.
  This bipartisan resolution, which has been given due consideration by 
the Committee on International Relations, deserves every Member's 
support and, hopefully, we will pass it unanimously on the floor today.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, before yielding back my time, let me just 
observe that our cooperation across party lines on this issue is 
emblematic of the many, many problems and areas and countries where the 
House Committee on International Relations functions in a uniquely 
bipartisan fashion for the national interest.
  Madam Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 127 
calling on the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to 
transfer Charles Taylor, former President of the Republic of Liberia, 
to the Special Court for Sierra Leone to be tried for war crimes,

[[Page H2765]]

crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international 
law. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important 
resolution.
  We must do everything possible to see that Charles Taylor, a fugitive 
from justice, is held accountable for his heinous crimes and brought 
before the Special Court for Sierra Leone. There should be no safe 
harbor for tyrants like Charles Taylor.
  The legacy of Charles Taylor's human rights abuses and corruption in 
Liberia is deplorable. Charles Taylor sponsored a 10-year civil war in 
neighboring Sierra Leone and has inflicted suffering on innocent men, 
women and children in unprecedented acts of cruelty, all done to 
satisfy the avarice of a cruel despot.
  The UN-backed war crimes court unsealed an indictment on Charles 
Taylor in 2003. He is accused of bearing the greatest responsibility 
for war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious violations of 
international humanitarian law. It is well known that he provided 
financial support, military training, personnel, arms and other form of 
assistance to the Revolutionary United Front to destabilize Sierra 
Leone and thereby gain access to her diamond wealth.
  Charles Taylor organized and ordered armed attacks throughout Sierra 
Leone to terrorize the civilian population and ultimately punish them 
for failing to provide sufficient support to the RUF, or for supporting 
the legitimate government. The attacks routinely included unlawful 
killings, abductions, forced labor, physical and sexual violence, the 
use of child soldiers and looting.
  I remain concerned that two years have passed and he has not been 
brought to justice before the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The 
United States must call on the Nigerian government to hand Charles 
Taylor over to stand trial. Charles Taylor has stated his plans to 
return to Liberia one day and is accused of meddling in the current 
affairs of West Africa.
  If we fail to bring him to justice he may someday return to power in 
Liberia. Time is running out for the Special Court for Sierra Leone. 
Charles Taylor's crimes can not go unpunished. There must be justice 
for the victims.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 127.
  Charles Ghankay Taylor is a ruthless war criminal who has been 
indicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) on 17 counts of 
war crimes and crimes against humanity. Taylor, the former president of 
the Republic of Liberia, has supported atrocities including mass 
murder, rape, torture, mutilation, and the use of children as militants 
during Sierra Leone's brutal civil war.
  Charles Taylor also supported the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), 
deemed a terrorist organization by the State Department. He therefore, 
should be held accountable for the inhumane barbarism the RUF committed 
within Sierra Leone's borders. Furthermore, this Special Court that 
indicted Taylor has contributed to the rule of law in Sierra Leone and 
deserves our support.
  In August 2003, Charles Taylor was granted asylum in Nigeria and 
agreed to end involvement in Liberian politics. The Nigerian government 
also warned Taylor not to communicate with anyone involved in illegal 
or political activities in Liberia. However, the UN Secretary General 
has reported to the Security Council that Taylor has breached this 
agreement and maintains contacts in Liberia with those planning to 
undermine the peace process in Liberia.
  Today, Charles Taylor remains in Nigeria. Taylor is a threat to peace 
and stability in West Africa and should not be granted any freedom in 
Nigeria. I call on the government of Nigeria to immediately turn over 
Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Only with the 
proceedings of a fair and open trial for the crimes against humanity, 
will justice be served, and I urge my colleagues to support this 
legislation.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 127.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________