Foreign Policy Blogs

Taylor skips trial; Alan Johnston appears in new video

Charles Taylor once again boycotted his trial at The Hague today.  He is claiming that he is not given fair representation for his trial after sacking his legal consul, claiming he was ‘outgunned’ by the prosecution.  He is charged with 11 counts of war crimes for atrocities committed during the civil conflict in Sierra Leone sparked from a struggle over the countries diamond trade.

Reuters

Alan Johnston, BBC's Gaza correspondent, appears in a new video wearing a 'suicide vest.’  In the new video, Mr. Johnston claims his captors will detonate the vest if attempts are made to liberate him by force.  After capturing the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials have issued statements for the release of Mr. Johnston, stating “We will not allow the continuation of the abduction of the British journalist.”
BBC

I am on deadline for the next week or so and will return to my in depth analysis soon.

 

Author

Daniel Graeber

Daniel Graeber is a writer for United Press International covering Iraq, Afghanistan and the broader Levant. He has published works on international and constitutional law pertaining to US terrorism cases and on child soldiers. His first major work, entitled The United States and Israel: The Implications of Alignment, is featured in the text, Strategic Interests in the Middle East: Opposition or Support for US Foreign Policy. He holds a MA in Diplomacy and International Conflict Management from Norwich University, where his focus was international relations theory, international law, and the role of non-state actors.

Areas of Focus:International law; Middle East; Government and Politics; non-state actors

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