Sierra Leone jails militiamen: (Reuters) Three militiamen were sentenced to decades long prison sentences for human rights violations committed during the civil war that spanned from 1991 – 2002 in Sierra Leone. The U.N. backed Special Court for Sierra Leone convicted the men for “some of the most heinous, brutal and atrocious crimes ever recorded.” The verdict has been praised by many human rights organizations as it is the first ruling by an international tribunal regarding the use of child soldiers. The charges also include 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for terrorism, murder, and rape, among others. All three were members of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) which had tried to control the diamond trade in Sierra Leone. AFRC is alleged to have conspired with former Liberian president Charles Taylor, who is also on trial for instigating and coordinating murder, rape, and terrorism.
Chiquita International accused of funding terrorism: (AP) A lawsuit filed in New Jersey alleges Chiquita Brands International Inc. funded terrorist groups in Columbia and is therefore guilty of conspiracy on murder charges. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of six alleged victims who were killed by the paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Columbia (AUC). Chiquita also made payments to the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) to ensure the safety of its workers, according to company spokesmen. The company has recently pleaded guilty to charges of illegal business activity with terrorist groups in an earlier case filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington. Company spokesmen maintain the funding was forced to ensure the company could maintain its business interests in the banana region of Columbia. EarthRights attorneys, however, claim the company was “grossly negligent” by funding the various groups. The newest suit seeks unspecified monetary compensation.
Obama says U.S. military not for humanitarian aid: (AP) Democratic presidential candidate, Barak Obama, stated in an interview with the Associated Press that humanitarian aid and the prevention of genocide are not sufficient reasons to maintain a military presence in Iraq. “Well, look, if that's the criteria by which we are making decisions on the deployment of U.S. forces, then by that argument you could have 300,000 troops in the Congo right now … We would be deploying, unilaterally and occupying Sudan.” Obama, who is an opponent of the U.S. led war in Iraq, claims these problems cannot be handled militarily and should be resolved through diplomacy, stating “you can't solve the underlying problem at the end of a barrel of a gun.” Republican spokesmen have countered Obama's statements as pandering to left leaning interests.
