Eye on the World: Friday, April 27, 2012

A special court in the Hague ruled on Thursday that Charles Taylor, the president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, is guilty of aiding war crimes including murder, terrorism, and sexual slavery during Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war. Taylor also played a major role in Liberia’s civil war, but he’s still considered a hero by many Liberians. Human rights advocates say Liberia should follow Sierra Leone’s example by initiating prosecutions for crimes committed during wartime.

The author of “Forgiveness in wartime,” who lived through the first Liberian Civil War, writes of those who committed violence against her family, “I do not condone or pardon their actions, but I can see even them as God sees them.”

The Spanish statistics agency announced Friday that the country’s unemployment is at a record high of more than 5.6 million people, or 24.4% of the population. The government has announced deep spending cuts and labor reforms to ease the situation, but a number of unions have organized general strikes to protest the measures.

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