Former Liberian Leader Faces War Crimes Tribunal

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Find information about the current situation in Liberia in the WWW.

What is the message of the political cartoon above? What might be the man? What might he be doing? Why?

Look at the text title and complete the sentences trying to guess what endings they might have in the text

Taylor is the first African head of state…

But six years later, under international pressure…

Mr Taylor now stands accused of…

Prosecutors allege that…

3 a). Form abstract nouns from these verbs:

civilize		orchestrate
prosper		vary
terrorise		suffer
conscript		accuse

 

3 b). Fill in the gaps using the expressions above:

1) The ________ of ancient Greece flowered more than 2500 years ago but it influences the way we live today.

2) He denied the ___________ that he had lied to the police.

3) __________ often encompasses wealth but also includes other factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health.

4) A __________ of inexpensive goods is sold here.

5) Louis XIV combined legal persecution with the policy of _________ recalcitrant Huguenots.

6) They hope these new drugs will help to bring an end to the __________ of patients.

7) Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States ___________ of the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates.

8) _________ compulsory military service for young men, has been a contentious issue throughout Australia's history.

4 a). Match these words

1) plead not guilty	the people
2) terrorize	militias
3) face	the conflict
4) conscript	to the charges
5) hack off	to the information
6) orchestrate	soldiers
7) privy	the charges
8) armed	limbs

4 b) Write all possible combinations in the lines below.

1)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

6)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

7)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8)______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 c) Find the proper answers in the answer box in the end of Unit 1 and use them to fill the gaps in the sentences below.

 

1) Yesterday in Royal Court two men ____________ ___________.

2) We never ____________ or intimidate the people," Lieutenant-Colonel told me.

3) Only the top members of the Government were _______ ______ the classified information.

4) They _____ ________of thousands of people during the country's 10 year civil war.

5) We shall not need to ______ ______ any more, if our army becomes an army of professionals.

6) At 1:30 p.m., a bus stopped in front of the entrance gate and ______ ______ of approximately 40 heavily armed gunmen got out, firing at the people in the encampment.

7) The leader for the rebels ______ of murder and enslavement.

In Class

1 Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian Leader Faces The War Crimes Tribunal and do the exercises below.

Match positions with the names

Positions	Names
1) the chief prosecutor	a) Jabati Mambu
2) a reporter on the historic trial	b) Stephen Rapp
3) one of the victims	c) Stephanie Kennedy

 

Group these names into two columns. Provide some arguments to justify your decision.

Freetown, the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, The Hague, Sierra Leone, Liberia

The International Community	Hot Spot Properties

C- Comprehension Test 1

 

Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal again and tick the correct answer

1. Charles Taylor is A the acting president of Liberia B the Lebanese President C the Former President of Liberia	2. Charles Taylor took the office as a result of A of a fraud B a bloody civil law C a bloody civil war
3. According to the reporter Taylor will be further remembered A for flinging his country into economic ruin in the early 1990s B for plunging his country into economic rise in the early 1990s C for driving his country into economic plight	4. Taylor is the first African head of state   A to deal with war tribunal criminals B to appear before an international war crimes tribunal C to appear at four international war tribunals
5. He's facing charges of   A murder, rape, enslavement of child soldiers B murder, robbery, enslavement and conscripting child soldiers. C murder, rape, enslavement and conscripting child soldiers	6. The Liberian president was forced to resign   A five years later as a result of national pressure B six years later under international pressure C six years later under national pressure
7. Mr Taylor is accused of terrorising the people of Sierra Leone by A demonstrating atrocities committed by the neighbours B orchestrating cruelties committed by the rebels C illustrating atrocities committed by rebels	8. One of the victims says Taylor’s 12 year-old soldier brought an axe which they used   A to chop the victim’s right hand off B to intimidate him C to threaten to chop his head off
9. In exchange for diamonds Charles Taylor   A funded and controlled Sierra Leone’s rebels B funded and gained control over Sierra Leone’s rebels C armed, trained and controlled Sierra Leone’s rebels	10. The reporter says they are going to meet people who   A witnessed the actions in the battlefield B are quite close to Taylor C are aware of the orders he provided

B - Comprehension Test 1

Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal, answer the questions and fill in the gaps.

Part 1

1. Who is Charles Taylor? How did he rise to power? Why are the Liberians destined to remember him?

2. Why does the reporter believe that he has set a new mark?

3. What is he accused of? What charges is he facing now?

4. How old is he? Has he pleaded guilty to any of the charges?

5. Where is the trial taking place?

Part 2

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Just over a decade ago, Charles Taylor came to power promising his country peace and______________.
CHARLES TAYLOR: Charles Tayloris aboutprogresspeace, and Charles Taylor __ ______ this country __­___ ___the world community of nations.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: But six years later, ________ international pressure, the Liberian president _____ _________ ___ ________.

CHARLES TAYLOR: I can no longer ______ ______ ____­­­­____, the suffering is enough, for you are good people. You have been very good to me through the grace of God, and I love you from ____ ____________ ____ my heart.

I will always remember you wherever I am, and I say to you, God willing, I will be back.

 

Part 3

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: Mr Taylor now stands accused of ____________________ ____ __________ of neighbouring Sierra Leone by ________________ atrocities committed by the rebels.

These _________________ hacked off the limbs of thousands of people during the country's 10 year civil war that ended in 2003.

Jabati Mambu is one of those victims.

JABATI MAMBU: They went into our house, dragged me under the bed, you know, threw me outside, and they asked that they should cut my hands off. Then I said, "Well, instead I should join you." They said "No," and one of the guys, the commander, commanded ___ ____ _____ _____ boy, and the guy came with an axe, and that was what they used ___ _______ ___ ______ hand off.

STEPHANIE KENNEDY: ______________ allege that Charles Taylor armed, __________ and controlled Sierra Leone's revolutionary rebels ____ ________________ ____ blood diamonds.

Part 4
The chief prosecutor at the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone is Stephen Rapp, and he acknowledges that this case is a ____ _______________ ______ to prove.
STEPHEN RAPP: We recognise that that's our challenge. We don't ____________ that Charles Taylor ever crossed the border into Sierra Leone, or that he chopped off anybody's hand himself, or __________ _____________ on the streets of Freetown.
But we have a challenge and we are going to meet that with ____ _________ ____ witnesses from the inside. There are people that are quite close to him, there are people that further away from him that, __________________, hear communications or are __________ to the orders that he has provided, or who ______________ his key lieutenants _____ _______ ____________ in Sierra Leone giving orders, or providing material.
STEPHANIE KENNEDY: The trial is being broadcast live to Freetown, and the public _______ __________ __________________ to watch.

A – Comprehension Test 1

 

Listen to the Webcast Former Liberian leader faces war crimes tribunal again and use the information from above to report back the news story.Follow these questions.

 

1) How did the Liberian leader rise to power? Why will Charles Taylor be long remembered by the Liberians?

2) Why has Charles Taylor set a new mark this time?

3) What is he accused of?

4) How old is Charles Taylor? Has he plead guilty to any of the charges?

5) Where is the historic trial taking place?

6) What did the Liberian leader promise his people when he came to power?

7) Who made him resign?

8) The population of what country did Charles Taylor terrorise?

9) What kind of cruel crimes were committed by the militias?

10) How did one of the victims describe the militias’ actions?

11) What is Charles Taylor alleged to have done in exchange for blood diamonds?

12) What are the difficulties of the chief prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone judging the case?

13) Who are the witnesses to Taylor’s case?

MODULE 3. HUMAN RIGHTS

Unit 5.