Photographs from Liberia, 1999 - 2005

Four original photos of Blaney’s celebratory meeting with President Bush and others in the Oval Office of the White House. 2/10/2004.

POTUS Bush and Ambassador Blaney with POTUS’ signature and inscription, “To John- Fine job- Best wishes, George Bush”. With Presidential note attached, “With the compliments of the President”.

Two photos: (L-R) Secretary of State Colin Powell), Ambassador John Blaney, POTUS George Bush. (Second photo on reverse side)

Blaney in center briefing POTUS Bush and others. (L-R) White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Secretary of State Powell, POTUS Bush, Ambassador Blaney, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

Ambassador John Blaney makes a speech at his swearing-in ceremony, with Colin Powell behind him and Robin-Suppe-Blaney. (September 9th 2002)

*Picture of Deputy Chief of Mission Tom White (second from left), Hassan Bility (center), Ambassador Blaney (left of Bility). (DCM White and Blaney had just rescued journalist Bility from a Taylor torture chamber, and were about to escort him to an airplane leaving Liberia since his life was still in grave danger. A number of other political prisoners were released in response to Embassy Monrovia’s public and private pressure on Taylor and his regime). (2002)

*Ambassador Blaney saves a terrified baby chimpanzee from being eaten near Sapo National Park, Liberia. (He named it after one of his daughters, keeping it in Monrovia throughout the war, and had it released back into the wild in late 2003, where it was accepted by a group of chimpanzees on an island. (2002)

Picture of the next Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy Monrovia, Duane Sams (sitting on white couch). (2003)

Taylor child soldier gunmen in Monrovia. (2003)

Two stock photos of Blaney commonly seen in the media or used by Embassy Monrovia Public Affairs during his many press conferences and elsewhere. (2002-3)

Photo of Blaney walking towards Embassy Monrovia’s landing zone under sporadic gun fire, with President Bush’s inscription, “Ambassador John Blaney, Best Wishes, George Bush”. (Photo taken July 23rd, inscription made later).

*Blaney lays out his proposal for ending the war at a press conference at Embassy Monrovia, which eventually is agreed to by the combatant parties and implemented, ending the war. (July 27th 2003)

*Sniper. One of Taylor’s gunmen, possibly firing from the Ducor Hotel, which overlooks U.S. Embassy grounds. (Liberians were killed and wounded on the Embassy’s grounds, with the most casualties at its Greystone Annex. U.S. Marines were also wounded. There was deadly directed fire, some it likely coming from the Ducor Hotel, and thousands of stray rounds hitting Embassy grounds from nearby battles. Mortar rounds bombarded Embassy grounds as well. The battle for Monrovia lasted several weeks, with three separate major rebel attempts to take the fighting downtown, amidst over a million helpless people, kill Taylor and sack the city). Arrival at Liberia’s Roberts Field of General Okonkwo, Commander of ECOMIL (West African) peacekeepers. He was leading about ten other ECOMIL personnel in a “rekki” (reconnaissance) of the situation in order to assess whether any ECOMIL intervention would be possible. Blaney greeted him at the airport, driving through an ongoing mortar attack on Monrovia to do so, on July 31st 2003, the day this photo was taken. (Okonkwo initially was quite doubtful, recalling the ECOMOG peacekeeper intervention into Liberia of the 1990’s, when the peacekeepers became combatants. But Blaney and he worked well together to find a way forward).

End of the war. Culmination of negotiations with the LURD rebels, the same day Charles Taylor left Liberia. (L-R) ECOMIL Commander Okonkwo (black beret), Chief of Staff (Commanding General) of the LURD Mohammed Sheriff (aka Cobra) wearing red beret, Colonel Sue Ann Sandusky (U.S. Embassy Monrovia) wearing a helmet, ECOMIL Deputy to Okonkwo (green beret), and Ambassador Blaney (addressing the press). Outside LURD headquarters on Bushrod Island, Monrovia. August 12th 2003.

*Photos of Blaney at two press conferences. Under pressure in mid-2003 during the increasing violence (red tie), and in a second photo (blueberry tie) explaining the outcomes of his group’s first crossing of no man’s land in order to meet and negotiate with General Cobra, which had just occurred on August 5th 2003.

Collection A of 2003 printouts:

Taylor gunmen on a bridge spanning the Monsurado River, Monrovia. (2003)

Blaney talks to U.S. Marines as the fighting rages nearby. (2003)

Fighter firing right outside U.S. Embassy Greystone Annex. (2003)

Blaney leads first crossing of “no man’s land” August 5th 2003. (After vehicle dismount, Blaney walking to meet LURD Commanding General Cobra with Brad Lynn (State Department Diplomatic Security) to his left, finger on the trigger).

Final negotiating session with LURD (August 12th 2003). Blaney announces the deal achieved to the press, essentially ending the war. (L-R General Okonkwo of ECOMIL, Dante Paradiso, General Cobra, Mr. Fofana (LURD spokesman), John Blaney.

Tens of thousands await the ceremonial consummation of the deal, hoping the bridges across the Monsurado River, reuniting Monrovia, will reopen. (August 2003)

Blaney goes to thank the U.S. Marines from Joint Task Force Liberia for holding Roberts Field (the only airport), the key to the ECOMIL peacekeepers’ resupply. If they had not deployed, MODEL, the second rebel army, would likely have captured the airport, and more ECOMIL peacekeepers and supplies would not have any way to get into Liberia.

Collection B of 2003 printouts:

Stock photo of Blaney used by Embassy and State Department for press purposes. Blaney speaking to the press, and Blaney awaiting Washington’s (DOD’s) Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team’s (HAST) 6/2003.

Bodies piled in front of the U.S. Embassy (as a plea for help).

Blaney meeting incoming Marines at Embassy landing zone. (7/2003) LZ was taking sporadic fire.

Blaney at 27 July Embassy press conference laying out his proposal for a ceasefire, LURD withdrawal to the Po River, and permissive placement of ECOMIL peacekeepers in-between the combatant parties. (LURD angrily denounced it, so battlefield negotiations became necessary to stop the war).

Arrival of General Okonkwo, Commander of ECOMIL peacekeepers at Roberts Field airport. (He was on a reconnaissance with a small vanguard team to see if peacekeepers could deploy Okonkwo salutes Blaney.

Blaney announces, outside LURD headquarters on Bushrod Island, Monrovia, the deal essentially ending the war. (L-R Okonkwo, black beret, Cobra, red beret, Colonel Sue Ann Sandusky, helmet, Okonkwo’s Deputy Commander, Green beret, Blaney, briefing the press). 12 August 2003. And, second photo, a fighter on Monrovia’s streets.

Senator Warner and Blaney. (2003) Senator Warner, who originally spoke out against Blaney not pulling out of Liberia, was the only congressman to come out immediately after the fighting to see what had actually happened. He became a huge Blaney backer thereafter, recanted his earlier statement, and was key for Blaney getting badly needed post-war funding.

Another photo at LURD headquarters on 12 August 2003, Mr. Fofana (LURD spokesman) is making a LURD statement supporting the deal.

*U.S. Marines, one holding the U.S. flag aloft, working with West African peacekeepers to move vehicles across a bridge in Monrovia (2003)

Vice President of Liberia Moses Blah, who succeeded Taylor as President in August 2003 after Taylor stepped down as President of Liberia and departed for Nigeria. Blaney supported Blah as Taylor’s successor because the Liberian Constitution called for Blah to become President. But the rebels and Washington (initially) opposed Blah becoming President because he was a close Taylor associate and a gunman. But Blaney insisted he succeed Taylor in order to keep legitimacy on tack and avoid a power struggle. Blaney extracted a promise from Blah to step down as soon as the new interim head of government, specified in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), was picked and arrived. That would be Gyude Bryant. Blah kept his word and did step down in favor of Bryant. In turn, Bryant left office after a free election was held in 2005, per the CPA, which resulted in Ellen Johnson Sirleaf being elected as President of Liberia.

*Photos of some of the U.S. Embassy staff that endured the entire war and were essential to a successful outcome. Jenkins Vangehn (striped red shirt) was Blaney’s Liberian adviser during the crisis. Named by the U.S. State Department in 2021 as a “U.S. Hero of Diplomacy” for advancing the U.S. mission in Liberia. Photo of Dante Paradiso (left with blue solid shirt, no beard), was Blaney’s top advisor during the conflict and took on many responsibilities, especially as the Embassy staff drew down repeatedly during the fighting. Members of Blaney’s residential staff are also in that photo. Photo of “Hersh” Hernandez (left with black shirt, smiling), who was the commander of the Inter-Con private guard force that helped protect the U.S. embassy. Although largely unarmed, the guard force was critical nonetheless for saving the U.S. Embassy from being overrun by thousands of rioting Liberians trying to find safety from the war, and during numerous confrontations with gunmen. Inter-Con guard force members were killed and wounded during the crisis.

Photos of Thanksgiving 2003, celebrating still being alive. Many U.S. Embassy staff had returned by this point from the U.S. because the fighting was over and UN peacekeepers were increasing in number. Among Blaney’s guests: Jacque Klein, Secretary General of the United Nations’ Representative to Liberia, and head of the UN’s UNMIL peacekeeping mission. (Solid blue shirt, tie, glasses, portly). Also, among others, Christina Porche (dark hair, green blouse) who was the Public Affairs Officer at the embassy, and Susan Hamric, (seated on white sofa chair, with grey hair) talking to a friend, who was Blaney’s office manager. All were great at their jobs and brave.

*John Blaney in his office at U.S. Embassy Monrovia. (2004) Second photo is of the reception area at Blaney’s residence. (2004) Blaney’s residence was formerly the British Embassy in Monrovia.

John Blaney (center) with a few members of the Liberia Community Infrastructure Program, otherwise known as the “Blaney Brigades”. (2004) When the war ended thousands of fighters from all armies were wandering around armed, stealing or worse. So, Blaney devised a program modeled after FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s. Blaney got the money directly from Congress, beating down or ignoring the opposition of the Department of Defense and that of State Department’s Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. He hired thousands of ex-combatants and others to rebuild the roads, health clinics, bridges etc. they had just destroyed. The immediate objective was to stop the war from restarting and keep the unemployed combatants occupied. Blaney mixed all the armies up to break old chains of command, and dispatched many of them to unfamiliar far off places in Liberia. This allowed time for the United Nations and others to get their programs (such as DDRR) going. (2004)

Jacques Klein, head of UNMIL, and John Blaney at Blaney’s residence. Klein was Blaney’s closest partner in the post-war period and did a fine job running a myriad of programs, including disarmament and demobilization of more than 100,000 combatants, and much more. Their close partnership and friendship greatly strengthened the odds of success in a difficult post-war period (2003-2005).

Blaney symbolically destroying a weapon during disarmament and demobilization. (So many weapons were destroyed, a special crushing machine had to be brought in just to keep up). 2004.

George Weah, right, Blaney and (Mrs. Weah?) left). At Blaney’s residence in 2004. Weah was running for President of Liberia (election to be held December 2005), and wanted Blaney’s support. Blaney explained that as U.S. Ambassador, he would not be endorsing anyone. He also told Ellen Johnson Sirleaf the same thing at a separate luncheon. She later won the election of 2005, but George Weah did become President of Liberia many years later.

*Ambassador Blaney wearing Liberia’s decoration, “The Order of Redemption Knight Great Band”, presented by Chairman of the interim government, Gyude Bryant. It is in the “Liberia Post-War Period (2004-2005)” box, with a written commendation. (2005)

(Three photos)

Blaney receives Career Achievement Award in Director General’s Office, Department of State. (Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer looking on, Director General Pearson giving award to Blaney).

Group photo: (L-R) Andrew Silski, Jendayi Frazer, Pearson, Blaney (center), Robin Suppe-Blaney (R). (Silski, not smiling, was an ally of Blaney during the Liberia crisis and was harshly criticized for being on his side).

Final photo, Director General Pearson presenting Blaney with his Presidential flag. Comment: It was a polite ceremony, but being retired involuntarily at age 56 with children in college (or soon going for an advanced degree) was nothing to celebrate; see “Potholes along the way” folder in “Post State Department and Career Wrap up Box”. Fortunately, Blaney would soon be doing much better financially in the private sector, having not made a lot of money in public service for the last 32 years (i.e. 30 years as a diplomat, and 2 years as a solider). Blaney would also continue to contribute to the field of foreign affairs after retirement, both teaching and publishing, especially in the field of crisis management. See “Post State Department and Career Wrap up” box. "