| Moses
Blah, vice president of Liberia under Charles Taylor, assumed
the presidency after Taylor stepped down Aug. 11. Liberians United
for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) and other rebel groups
initially condemned the appointment, arguing that Blah had too
close a tie to Taylor and will merely continue his former boss'
practices.
 The
close ties between the two men began decades ago. Blah and Taylor
were brought together by
their opposition to then-president Samuel Doe. Fueled by Doe's
oppressive practices toward the Gio and Mano ethnic groups, Blah
-- who is of Gio descent -- and Taylor trained to fight a guerilla
war at Moammar Quadafi's Tajura Military Training College in Libya
from 1985-1989.
Soon after, Taylor's
troops invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast, starting a rebellion
that would last seven years. Present at the outset, Blah served
as a general during the fight to overthrow Doe's government, which
left over 100,000 Liberians dead and devastated a once prosperous
country.
After Taylor was elected
president of Africa's oldest republic in 1997, Blah was appointed
ambassador to Libya and Tunisia. Blah became vice president in
2000 after Enoch Dogolea's death. Some suspect Dogolea was poisoned.
Despite years of close
contact with the president, Blah was jailed for a week in June
2003, accused of participating in a U.S.-backed coup plot while
Taylor was out of the country. Blah was released, but two deputies
who were arrested with Blah died in custody. Blah maintains that
the incident was a misunderstanding with Taylor that has since
been cleared up.
Blah was born on April
18, 1947, in Toweh Town, near the Liberia-Ivory Coast border.
Reputed as a fierce fighter in battle, Blah has never sought much
political power while in Taylor's government. Known as a quiet
man who drives his own jeep around the capital city of Monrovia
(a rarity in a town where most officials travel by motorcade),
the 56-year-old grandfather vows to do what it takes to bring
peace to the war-torn country. Referring to the rebels as "brothers,"
Blah told the Associated Press, "Let bygones be bygones.
If there is power, we can share it."
Blah also told the
AP that he plans to remain in power only until January, saying,
"I need to rest, go back to my farm, play with my grandchildren."
--
Compiled by Emily Robinson for the Online NewsHour
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