A typical West African house, up-country, in Sierra Leone. (Travlr/Creative Comons)

He has been convicted of supporting rebels in Sierra Leone who murdered and maimed thousands of civilians during that country's decade-long civil war. Taylor supplied the rebels with weapons in exchange for "blood diamonds" which were often obtained through slave labor.  The judges ruled that Taylor armed the militias with full knowledge that those weapons would be used to commit heinous crimes. 

At a hearing earlier this month, Taylor expressed his deepest sympathies for the victims, but reiterated that he acted to stabilize the West African region.

"What I did . . . was done with honor," he said. "I was convinced that unless there was peace in Sierra Leone, Liberia would not be able to move forward." 

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