Liberia: An Uncivil War plot
In the summer of 2003, the long-standing power struggle between the rebel movement Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and government leader Charles Taylor (indicted by the United Nations for crimes against humanity) reached its climax with the imminent capture of the Liberian capital Monrovia. Taylor says he will step down, but only after the arrival of a stabilizing peacekeeping force. The rebels also say they welcome peacekeepers. The hope is focused on the United States. Liberia was founded by former American slaves, the constitution was written in Harvard and the flag is a simplified version of the Stars and Stripes. But Liberia's strategic importance disappeared after the Cold War.