Former Liberian President Charles Taylor is under indictment by a war crimes tribunal, accused of committing crimes against humanity. Yet he is living comfortably in exile in Nigeria, and international officials say he is meddling in politics in Liberia and elsewhere in West Africa.
In resolutions, floor debates, and interviews, lawmakers of both parties have been urging the Bush administration to press Nigeria to turn over Taylor to the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone. Taylor, a former warlord, is accused of directing Sierra Leone's notoriously brutal Revolutionary United Front rebels and trafficking in guns and diamonds.
Representative Ed Royce of Bush's Republican Party plans to introduce a resolution next week demanding that Nigeria transfer Taylor to the international court. The idea is "having Congress take the lead on setting a policy," Royce said.
Senator Patrick Leahy, a top Democrat on the subcommittee that finances foreign aid programs, proposed a measure this week urging the US government to use "its voice and vote" at the UN to force Taylor's transfer.
"Despite assurances by the State Department more than a year ago that Taylor will ultimately appear before the court, they have made little effort to get him there and, even worse, they seem to have no strategy for doing so," Leahy said in a statement.
The State Department says it is working to have Taylor turned over to the court, but would not provide details. Republican Senator Judd Gregg said he has discussed Taylor with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other US officials and has received assurances they would pursue the matter.
But, he said, "I think we can do more."
The congressional efforts follow the European Parliament's approval of a resolution demanding that Taylor be brought before the court. It also comes as court officials have been lobbying US officials to take a stronger stand.
"American leadership will be important if Charles Taylor is to be brought to justice," David Crane, the lead prosecutor, told reporters.
Some human rights officials and congressional aides say State Department officials are divided about how hard to press Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to turn over Taylor.
Nigeria is an increasingly important strategic ally for the US. It is a major oil producer, Africa's most populous nation and a pivotal force in dealing with terrorism, violence in Sudan, and other issues on the continent. Obasanjo is seen as guiding Nigeria toward greater democracy and less corruption.
Moreover, Nigeria agreed to accept Taylor in 2003 at the behest of the US and other nations to prevent further bloodshed as rebels were poised to overthrow his government.
"The Nigerians were pressed very hard to take Taylor because no one was willing to go in there forcefully and remove him," said Princeton Lyman, a former US ambassador to Nigeria. "The idea that somehow Nigeria is at fault here for not turning him over to the tribunal is unfair."
Some lawmakers and international officials say Taylor has violated the agreement that allowed his exile by continuing to meddle, through phone calls and funding, in Liberian politics ahead of elections in October. They say he and his associates have interfered in the affairs of other West African nations.
When the House of Representatives debated a spending bill last month, Republican Representative Sue Kelly sought to ensure that no money would go to Nigeria. On the House floor, she alleged that Taylor had traveled to Burkina Faso to meet with Islamic militant groups and paid for an assassination attempt against Guinea President Lansana Conte in January. Her spokesman did not return messages seeking details of the charges.
Alan White, chief of investigations for the Special Court, said he could not confirm Kelly's allegations but ventured that Taylor is "now a clear and present danger to the entire region."
Congressional interest in Nigeria isn't new. Two years ago, Congress offered a US$2 million reward for Taylor's capture. It has twice voted to restrict military aid to Nigeria until it hands over Taylor.
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