Liberia's president turns on Amnesty

Taylor calls Amnesty a puppet of the British Government

Liberian President Charles Taylor has rejected accusations from the human rights organisation Amnesty International that his security forces have meted out brutal treatment to critics of the government.

Mr Taylor said Amnesty had not been in Liberia to prove what it alleged.

I have a problem with some of these Holy Marys and John the Baptists

Charles Taylor, Liberia's president

He said the country's anti-terrorist unit, led by his son and criticised by Amnesty as committing flagrant rights abuses and rape, was the best trained and most disciplined force in Liberia.

Amnesty said in its report earlier this week that the Liberian security forces had used torture on students, journalists and defenders of human rights, and urged an end to what it said was the impunity enjoyed by them.

'Holy Marys'

But Mr Taylor said: "I have a problem with some of these Holy Marys and John the Baptists."

A civil war is being fought in northern Liberia

"Amnesty is there to spread disinformation to contine to hurt Liberia, Amnesty is a propaganda arm of the British Government," he said.

Mr Taylor has often criticised the British Government saying it is anti-Liberia and that it sides with the government of neighbouring Sierra Leone during its war with the brutal Revolutionary United Front rebels.

The United Nations imposed sanctions on the movements of Liberia's government officials over the country's support for the rebels and its handling of blood diamonds from Sierra Leone.

But Mr Taylor has denied the claims saying the sanctions are unfair.

He also warned that any remaining RUF leaders found in Liberia would be arrested.

Humanitarian crisis

Meanwhile Liberia has since last year been fighting against its own rebels in the north of the country.

Humanitarian help is needed for the refugees

That war has produced hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced people, some 300,000 of whom, Mr Taylor said, are facing a terrible plight.

In a televised address, Mr Taylor said atrocities by rebels based in neighbouring Guinea ranged from raping Liberian women to herding people together into houses and burning them to death.

He said the government was doing everything it could with meagre resources to provide for those displaced.

He thanked humanitarian agencies involved in helping the refugees, but said what was being offered did not reach even half the amount the Liberian Government would like to see being provided.