My final LTTE copy-Thanks everyone who posted and replied at DU

[IDUDOYOU]

Some of the Liberian posts really helped me out.
Sent this to my local newspaper.




> > > > Liberia is a crisis which the United States
> has
> > > > ignored for too long. Constant civil war has
> been tearing that nation apart, making refugees of
> over one-third of the Liberian people. Charles
> Taylor, the
> > brutal
> > > > dictator of Liberia who uses rape as a war
> > tactic,
> > > > is
> > > > considered by almost every international human
> > > > rights
> > > > group as being just as barbarous and
> > bloodthirsty
> > > as
> > > > Saddam Hussein. Taylor is a fugitive from the
> > > > United
> > > > States justice system and the International
> > Court.
> > >
> > > In
> > > > the last few years, Taylor has exported small
> > arms
> > > > throughout West and Central Africa, exploiting
> > and
> > > > provoking civil wars in the nations of Sierra
> Leone, Guinea,
> > > Ivory
> > > > Coast, and Congo. Taylor has used the small
> > arms
> > > > trade to destabilize that region of the world
> > and
> > > to
> > > > advance his own power. It should be noted that
> > the
> > > > civil war in Congo is the bloodiest war since
> > > World
> > > > War II, a conflict in which almost 3.4 million
> > > > people
> > > > have died.
> > > > The debate recently has been whether the
> United
> > > > States
> > > > should send troops to Liberia. Although there
> > are
> > > > many
> > > > reasons that troops could be sent, the most
> > > > compelling
> > > > rationale is that the present Liberian
> > government
> > > > has
> > > > had business connections to Al Qaeda. Yes,
> that
> > > Al
> > > > Qaeda. The Liberian government, under Taylor,
> > > sold
> > > > diamonds to Al Qaeda. The terrorist
> > organization,
> > > > headed by Osama bin Laden, used these diamonds
> > to
> > > > finance operations worldwide. Diamonds are an
> > > > important commodity for terrorist
> organizations,
> > > > because they can be easily bought and sold
> > without
> > > > any
> > > > record of the transaction. Another
> Liberian-Al
> Qaeda connection is that the terrorist organization
>
> paid Taylor $1 million to temporarily harbor Al
> Qaeda
> fugitives in his nation after 9/11.
> > > > Afghanistan became a haven for terrorists
> > because
> > > of
> > > > civil wars which gripped that nation after the
> > > > Soviets
> > > > withdrew in 1989. The nation became
> > destabilized
> > > > and
> > > > allowed terrorists and their organizations to
> > > easily
> > > > flow in and out of the country. The United
> > States
> > > > must not allow Liberia to become the West
> > African version of
> > > > Afghanistan. Because of Liberia's past ties
> to
> > Al
> > Qaeda, this is a very real and dangerous
> > possibility.
> > The American mission could easily be done with a
> few
> > > > thousand troops at most and over a short
> period
> of time, not the over 200,000
> > that
> > > > are
> > > > now in the Iraqi theater of operations and the
> unanswered length and cost of that commitment. Many
> > > people
> > > > are comparing Liberia to Somalia, which is a
> > > > terrible
> > > > analogy. Just because both nations are in
> > Africa
> > > > does
> > > > not mean they are the same. The Liberians
> > > actually
> > > > want American troops on the ground in their
> > > nation,
> > > > because of historic ties between the two
> > nations. Both sides in the civil war declare that
> it will halt the fighting. America forces, along
> with
> already committed peacekeepers from other nations,
> will undoubtedly help to stabilize that region and
> prevent terrorists from gaining a strong foothold in
> West Africa.
> > > > Liberia was founded as a colony for freed
> > American
> > > > slaves in 1822, and Liberians today consider
> > > > Americans
> > > > to be their big brother.
> > > > It should also be noted about Liberia that Pat
> Robertson of
> > the
> > > > 700
> > > > Club fame has an illegal $8 million mining
> > > contract
> > > > with Charles Taylor. The contract is
> > > > illegal because of the wording in Liberia's
> > > > constitution. Despots usually ignore their
> > > nation's
> > > > constitution, and that is exactly what Taylor
> > did
> > > > with
> > > > Robertson's contract. Because of Liberia's
> ties
> > > to
> > > > Al
> > > > Qaeda, Robertson's cash could easily have and
> > > still
> > > > possibly be supporting Al Qaeda operations
> > through
> > > > the
> > > > Liberian mining industry. Robertson has
> > protested
> > > > on
> > > > his television show about the United States
> > > ousting
> > > > Charles Taylor because he is a "Christian",
> ignoring the fact that he is a brutal dictator.
> > > Perhaps
> > > > the illegal contract is the real reason
> > Robertson
> > > > protests so vocally. Instead of praying for a
> > > > change
> > > > in the Supreme Court, Robertson should be
> > praying
> > > > that
> > > > his cash is not supporting a bloody civil war
> in
> > > > Liberia or Al Qaeda terrorist operations.
> As Benjamin Franklin stated, "Never leave that till
> tomorrow which you can do today."
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liberia on July 30
called for the United States to intervene today and
not tomorrow. The Archbishop stated his nation cannot
wait long for assistance.
> The United States must not wait until tomorrow to
> stop
> the crisis in Liberia today.
>