PRESIDENT JAMES E. "JIMMY" CARTER - TYPED LETTER SIGNED 08/15/1997 - HFSID 268078

FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER THANKS FORMER SENATOR PAUL SIMON FOR CO-LEADING A DELEGATION TO LIBERIA TO OBSERVE THE JULY 19,1997 ELECTION OF CHARLES TAYLOR AS PRESIDENT. IN 2003, TAYLOR WAS INDICTED ON 17 COUNTS OF WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY.
 
JIMMY CARTER. Typed Letter Signed: "Jimmy/Thanks & best/wishes-", 1p, 8½x11. Atlanta, 1997 August 15. To Senator Paul Simon, Carbondale, Illinois. In full: "I would like to extend my thanks to you for co-leading The Carter Center's delegation to observe the July 19, 1997 Liberia Special Elections. I was most pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with you and Jeanne on this mission, to the success of which you contributed significantly. As you may know, after the delegation's departure, Charles Taylor was certified winner of the elections with slightly over 75% of the vote, and was sworn into office on August 2. Chip and Jason Carter, along with Terrence Lyons, director of our Liberia office, represented The Carter Center at the inauguration. We currently are drafting a comprehensive report of our observations of the electoral process, including the days and weeks leading up to the election and the day of the election itself. We will be drawing from our debriefing session with the delegation as well as from the written reports from each observer team. If you have any particular insights or points that you believe might be relevant, please share them with Gordon Streeb as soon as possible so that they may be considered for the final draft. Copies of the report will be sent to you upon completion. The Carter Center plans to remain in Liberia to assist her in consolidating democracy, and hopes to keep the Monrovia office open into the next year. The positive role that the observers played helped to make our continuing involvement possible by fostering a relationship of good will and cooperation between The Carter Center and the Liberian people. Again, we appreciate your contribution to our mission, and hope that there will be another opportunity for you to join The Carter Center in our efforts to promote peace, democracy and human rights throughout the world." In its October 11, 2002 announcement of the awarding of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize to Jimmy Carter, the Norwegian Nobel Committee observed that "he has shown outstanding commitment to human rights, and has served as an observer at countless elections all over the world." As President of Liberia, CHARLES TAYLOR (1948-) has been characterized as one of Africa's most authoritarian dictators. He has reportedly supported wars in Liberia's neighboring countries, and is alleged to be the center of a major diamond smuggling ring. According to a "London Observer" article called "Logs of War", diamond smuggling from Sierra Leone through Liberia to Antwerp, Belgium, was linked to Al Qaeda. In June 2003, the United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone indicted Taylor on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sierra Leone's 11-year civil war and issued a warrant for President Taylor's arrest. The U.N. asserts that Taylor created and backed the Revolutionary United Front rebel group in Sierra Leone which is held responsible for a range of deliberate attrocities including the use of child soldiers. In July 2003, President George W. Bush ordered that Taylor "must leave Liberia". On August 11, 2003, Taylor stepped down. He was succeeded by Vice President Moses Blah. Ghana's President John Kufuor, South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki and Mozambican leader Joaquim Chissano, representing African regional councils, were present at the transfer of power. The United States brought three warships with 2300 Marines into view of the coast. Taylor flew to Nigeria where the Nigerian government provided asylum. In 2004, the Human Rights Watch urged the U.N. Security Council to use its mission to West Africa to call on Nigeria to surrender Charles Taylor to the Special Court for Sierra Leone for trial. DIRECTLY FROM THE SALE OF THE ESTATE OF SENATOR PAUL SIMON. Paul Simon (1928-2003) was a Democratic Senator from Illinois from 1985-1997. Lightly creased. Overall, fine condition.