Comments on: Nobody Ever Transported Weapons From Taylor’s White Flower Residence To RUF Rebels in Sierra Leone, He Says

By: Scarlett Lion | Christmas Cheer, Liberian Style

Scarlett Lion | Christmas Cheer, Liberian Style — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:26:36 +0000

[...] me as strange. Some of his family members still live in the residence, commonly referred to as White Flower (though I’m not sure anyone knows why it’s called that) , but no one bothers to take [...]

By: Tracey Gurd

Tracey Gurd — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:35:27 +0000

Duke,

Thanks for your note and I do take your point. There are indeed some comments that are really borderline that I do decide to post but could go either way. The deciding factor tends to be whether it singles out another individual posting on the site or not — but still, I agree with you that there are grey areas, and I hope you and other readers will pull me up when you think I have allowed something through that doesn’t meet our own policy. I consider it important to be challenged on the merits of decisions that people consider unfair.

Duke, you are an eloquent writer and I do hope you continue posting. You add to the quality of the conversation here.

Best, and thanks for your understanding,
Tracey

By: Duke

Duke — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:13:52 +0000

Tracy,
Second thought!
I decided in the past to read Taylor’s testimony and not the postings but went against my decision. So there is no need to reformulate my comment. Just delete it. It is better to just read substantive material (i.e., Taylor’s testimony) than pork my nose through the heap of inflammatory comments and garbage some of the folks post.

By: Duke

Duke — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 02:05:30 +0000

Tracy,
In all fairness, we have seen postings that have absolutely nothing to do with the trial. They were saturated with vulgarity, negativity, triviality, and absolute nonsense. Yet you took the liberty to post it. Mine is a far refined version of some of those postings. I hope this is not prejudice!!! However, to reach the intended author and audience, I will reformat my posting and you can decide what to do.

By: Tracey Gurd

Tracey Gurd — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:15:50 +0000

Dear Duke,

You have posted a comment here that unfortunately I cannot approve. However, I remain very happy to approve it if you can reformulate it in a way that meets our policy on this site (ie that focuses on the issues raised by the trial and not others posting here). If you like, I can email you the content of your post separately, you can reconstruct and I will post it.

I do look forward to hearing from you, Duke, and hope you continue to contribute postings.

Best,
Tracey

By: jose Rodriguez

jose Rodriguez — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:17:32 +0000

Duke, we have already dealt with this issue long time ago. Even, our moderator Tracey, understood the content of the post. However, if you so much care about women in the way you professed, you won’t consider the matter of women to be a trivial issue as you have said in your previous post. I think you are just a narcicist looking for attention. Find something different to use your newly learned vocabularies on, because Harris Johnson said nothing wrong about women.

By: Duke

Duke — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:17:24 +0000

I hate to do this but I am compelled to veer from substantive matter to triviality for a moment to express my concern over the flagrant denigration of women by Harris. I believe this site is open to the world and anybody, not just MEN, is welcome to post their comments as Taylor’s testimony unfolds. The emphasis the author placed on a particular gender is objectionable and unwarranted. Even if his use of the term MEN is figurative has , it sends a negative message and in a way unmasks the author’s gender prejudices and perceives subordination of women. Let us respect gender equality. I call on the author to please recant his comment.

By: Al-Solo Nyonteh

Al-Solo Nyonteh — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:53:43 +0000

I don’t want to burst no one bubble but it is a common practice for the prosecution to offer deals in return for a witness testimony ( taking the death penitie off the table, reducing a sentence, witness protection, travel and financial reimbursements, etc..). I’m not trying to jump to conclusions with out getting more information from BOIMA KAMARA, but his statement “Those guys paid people to lie” makes him sound like one of the prosecution witnesses. Did the prosecution approach him and directly offer him money to tell a story they fabricated or did he overhear the prosecution offering his boss a “commonly practice deal” in exchange to testify. His evidence is hard for me to digests. You telling me, a highly trained lawyer is going to email incriminating documents. These documents at its greatest can only prove he was in contact with the prosecution.

By: jose Rodriguez

jose Rodriguez — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:28:17 +0000

Boima Kamara, your revelation could have a chilling effect with far reaching and irreversible consequencies to the prosecution. I’m interested in your story even more. By the way, I’m a Mexican Liberian, with mom hailing from Grand Bassa County, Liberia. The name Jose is pronounced in Spanish as HOSEY. However, I made it my obligation to visit LIberia every year. Just two years ago, I was in Monrovia. I read in one of the local daily newspapers about two Whitemen from the Special Court of Sierra Leone. These men mission was to find witnesses to testify against President Taylor in the ongoing trial. They talked to a former General of the defunct NPFL by the name of General makazohn. Upon listening to these guys, Makazohn said in order to testify, he will have to consult someone on the issue. He got in touch with Sanoe Johnson a former Senator from Bomi County in the Taylor administration. When Sanoe came, these guys were already formuliar with him. These two white guys with their UNIMIL SECURITY FORCES decided to force them into their car. General Makazohn and Sanoe Johnson screamed on the top of their lungs until bystanders and onlookers started calling for help. The next day, it was reported to the Liberia Government. The government respond was they were not aware of anybody coming from the court to kidnap citizens of Liberia with the sole purpose of taking them to the court. General Makazohn also stated that he was offered special favor and protection if he was willing to testify against his former boss. Boima Kamara, I see a direct corelation to your story to what I read two years ago.

Tracey, this case is deeper than anyone can think. According to their own standard of measurement, HEARSAY is permissable. That’s OK. They will be defeated at their own game. The defense is bringing about 200 witness to debunk, destroy, dismantle, demolish, and dismiss the less than 200 witness testimonies the prosecution presented.

By: Harris K Johnson

Harris K Johnson — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:46:11 +0000

B. KAMARA,

The first batch of your story is all true. Please go on with the rest. Visa is my personal friend, I’m his one time boss man he knows that very well.

Regards

Harris K. Johnson