Ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor leaves Sierra Leone

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor left Sierra Leone today, a war crimes court spokesman said, apparently heading to The Hague, Netherlands, for a long-awaited trial on charges of allegedly backing brutal rebels in Sierra Leone.

Court spokesman Peter Andersen said Taylor was flown by UN helicopter to the airport on the outskirts of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown and escorted onto a plane that took off shortly afterward.