Charles Taylor And Liberia Ambition and Atrocity in Africa's Lone Star State (Paperback)

From the Publisher: Campaigner, insurgent, arms dealer, warlord, commodity trafficker, elected president, international fugitive, and finally prisoner, Charles Taylor sought to lead his native Liberia to change but instead destroyed it in a frenzy of violence, greed, and uncontrolled personal ambition. In the process, he threw much of Liberia's neighboring region into turmoil for over a decade and today awaits judgment in The Hague for his role in the Sierra Leone conflict.   This book is also about the efforts, at times idealistic but often self-interested, and frequently half-hearted, of the West and the international community to first save Liberia and the region from disaster, then, having failed, to bring to justice one of those whom it deems to be most to blame for the turmoil.   Finally, this story is about Liberian society and its people - their response to unexpected and prolonged adversity, their struggle for normality today, and their refusal to accept a return to destruction and despair for tomorrow. For many of them, this continuing struggle is a reflection of their heartfelt wish to see the day when they can honestly utter their proud rallying call: "Liberia will rise again".