The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Max Nepstad

David Crane leaned over his desk on the fourth floor of Syracuse University's College of Law. Crane, a middle-aged law professor with flat, white hair and clear, oval spectacles, sat quiet and reserved as he talked about his work. His office boasts the usual items: family portraits, law books, a stack of pens sitting on the desk.

Yet six years ago, with a stroke of his pen, Crane took down President Charles Taylor of Liberia - the most powerful warlord in West Africa. That's when he realized "the rule of the law clearly is more powerful than the rule of the gun."

Before Crane came to SU in 2005, he served as the chief prosecutor for the International War Crimes Tribunal in Sierra Leone. From 2002 to 2005, he oversaw the United Nations' criminal court, which sought justice for the 1 million West Africans killed during the country's 10-year civil war and the 2.5 million displaced when the war ended in 2002.

The tribunal - an international team of political leaders and lawyers recruited by Crane - brought peace to a country torn apart by bloodthirsty warlords. Crane and his staff broke up a multimillion-dollar blood diamond ring, restored power to the people and indicted then-President Taylor on 17 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

With one fell swoop of his hand, Crane's signature found Taylor individually responsible for the murder, rape, maiming and mutilation of more than 1.2 million West Africans.

"This is the true 'Blood Diamond' story," Crane said. The average life expectancy for a Sierra Leone local was 34 years old, Crane recalled. It ranked 192 out of 192 on the UN index of the world's worst places to live.

Crane said the daily horror of the stench of death still lingers with him.

"In Sierra Leone, the air is like a living entity. It actually wraps itself around you," he said. "The smell of death, the smell of burning fuel, the smell of rotting garbage, the humidity, it just all encompasses you."

Before assuming his position in Sierra Leone, Crane worked in the federal government. He served as an officer in the U.S. army for 20 years, including serving as a paratrooper and a special operations officer. After retiring from the military, he spent 10 years as a senior intelligence officer in the U.S. Department of Defense. And if you knew what Crane did for the department, he'd have to kill you.

No, really. It's classified.

Continued...

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