Former Liberian Dictator Charles Taylor Worked for US Spy Agencies

The Takeaway

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor is infamous for many atrocities. As one of the first African leaders to be tried for war crimes, Taylor was a notorious dictator who oversaw the murder of over one million people. He was also an active participant in the diamonds-for-guns trade, and at one point gifted Naomi Campbell a pouch of blood diamonds. Monday  the Boston Globe revealed that during his rise as a ruthless despot, Taylor worked with U.S. spy agencies like the CIA and Pentagon since the early 1980s. David Crane is the former chief prosecutor for the special court for Sierra Leone, who indicted Charles Taylor in 2003. He is now a professor at  Syracuse University College of Law.

Sign up for our daily newsletter

Sign up for The Top of the World, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.