Charuhans

I arrived 25 minutes late for my 8.30 AM appointment (traffic, took wrong direction, parking, having to walk etc.). I thought that I will be turned back with a rescheduled date and time. But the guard checked me in and told me to hang outside the waiting room till some officer comes to check the box where everyone was supposed to put their appointment letters. After a few minutes a woman came by to check the box and I talked to her. She asked me to put my letter in the box and go inside and wait. After 12 minutes, an officer came and called out my name. He asked me to follow him inside and I apologized for being late. He said that’s no problem and we talked a bit about the city as we walked to his office.

He ran through the form and confirmed that nothing changed since the application was submitted. Then he printed out the test and asked me the questions. I can’t remember all of them …. 1) What was our main concern during the cold war 2) who takes over in case the President is no longer able to serve 3) Why did the Pilgrim Fathers came to America. Then there was a question about voting rights. Then he asked me to read, “which state has the most people?” and write down, “California has the most people”. He then took the paper and said, “Congratulations, you have passed the test”. I immediately requested for taking the oath that afternoon and he said that can be done.

He then asked me sign the photos which I had submitted along with the application. I asked him whether I can replace those and if it’s OK to have photos with eyeglasses since the instructions said that the photos have to be without any non-religious headgear, eyeglasses and earrings. He said that’s fine we can have the photos with eyeglasses. So exchanged the photos, signed them and he gave me a letter to bring to the Oath ceremony at 1.30 PM. It all took 17 minutes.

Went back at 1.30 PM and took the Oath along with 26 other people from 13 countries. A journey which began 5 years back reached its logical conclusion .

Sorry, for the delayed post. Everything went like a dream from the moment I mailed my N400 (only 5 days after I completed 3 years residency) .... it was kinda shock for me having lived thru AR/AP for a year when I applied for the Visa in 2005. I will have the detailed post up in a few moments.

USCIS Lockbox Arizona

UserName.........Sent.......NOA1.....Biometrics.Int ltr rec..Interview...Oath......Office

Rabie007.........02/03/09...02/14/09...03/04/09...03/16/09...04/20/09...--/--/--...Cleveland, OH

Charuhans.......02/09/09...02/17/09...03/13/09...03/27/09...05/13/09...05/13/09...Portland, OR

rachel...........02/11/09...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...Chicago, IL

Boss78...........02/16/09...02/28/09...03/23/09...04/20/09...06/15/09...--/--/--...Omaha, NE

wworld808........02/17/09...03/03/09...03/19/09...04/06/09...05/13/09...--/--/--...Honolulu, HI

waiting4visas....02/21/09...03/05/09...03/21/09...04/23/09...06/09/09...--/--/--...Denver, CO

faylen...........02/23/09...03/02/09...03/25/09...05/04/09...06/16/09...--/--/--...????

Smoothsailing....02/25/09...03/05/09...03/17/09...04/23/09...05/15/09...06/04/09...Boise, Idaho[/font]

USCIS Lockbox Texas

UserName.........Sent.......NOA1.....Biometrics.Int ltr rec..Interview...Oath......Office

legalalien30.....01/31/09...02/03/09...03/04/09...03/13/09...05/05/09...05/28/09...Boston, MA

peruvianfamily...02/02/09...02/09/09...02/25/09...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...St. Albans, VT

Deirdre76........02/03/09...02/17/09...03/10/09...04/18/09...05/28/09...--/--/--...Oklahoma City, OK

Eons.............02/04/09...02/10/09...03/05/09...04/08/09...05/07/09...--/--/--...Dallas, TX

Negrecita2007....02/05/09...02/10/09...03/05/09...03/24/09...05/06/09...05/28/09...Boston, MA

Alien57..........02/10/09...02/23/09...03/12/09...03/24/09...05/11/09...06/03/09...Boston, MA

fahadkhan00......02/10/09...03/05/09...03/14/09...04/13/09...05/27/09...05/27/09...Atlanta, GA

Perdesi..........02/11/09...02/19/09...03/17/09...04/09/09...05/15/09...05/15/09...Fairfax, VA

marcnycity.......02/12/09...02/19/09...03/12/09...05/06/09...06/02/09...--/--/--...New York, NY

kumar_n400.......02/12/09...02/19/09...03/27/09...04/07/09...05/12/09...--/--/--...Houston,TX

Ahuacatl.........02/14/09...03/02/09...03/24/09...03/24/09...05/11/09...06/11/09...Boston, MA

honey19_sweety28.02/17/09...03/02/09...03/20/09...04/03/09...05/12/09...06/01/09...Cranston, RI

araz87...........02/17/09...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...Houston,TX

riosling.........02/17/09...02/25/09...03/20/09...04/14/09...05/27/09...--/--/--...Mt.Laurel, NJ

BigRay...........02/18/09...02/25/09...03/20/09...04/06/09...05/21/09...--/--/--...Tampa, FL

upstategal.......02/23/09...03/04/09...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...--/--/--...Albany, NY

MaryandMian......02/24/09...03/11/09...04/01/09...04/30/09...06/18/09...--/--/--...Atlanta, GA

RositaL..........02/24/09...03/04/09...04/07/09...04/17/09...06/24/09...--/--/--...Newark, NJ

kleobg...........02/26/09...03/12/09...--/--/--...04/24/09...06/03/09...--/--/--...Boston, MA

mwilson122.......02/24/09...03/03/09...03/17/09...04/16/09...06/17/09...--/--/--...West Palm Beach, FL

Myself

Make: Local public transport and Walking

Make: Square, 4 wheels, runs on natural gas/bio diesel

Year: Ranges from 2000-2007

Color: White and Red with colorful ads.

Length of daily commute: 4 miles roundtrip

Average gas cost per week: --

Do you carpool? public transport

Any plans to buy a more fuel efficient transportation? Yes, but focus is on Safety rather than fuel economy. Might go for a used Volvo

The Mrs.

Make: Local public transport and Walking

Make: Square, 4 wheels, runs on natural gas/bio diesel

Year: Ranges from 2000-2007

Color: White and Red with colorful ads.

Length of daily commute: 10 miles roundtrip

Average gas cost per week: --

Do you carpool? public transport

Any plans to buy a more fuel efficient transportation? Yes, but focus is on Safety rather than fuel economy. Might go for a used Volvo

Visit http://bankrate.com/

Its a very comprehensive site for all your banking/borrowing needs. Gives you all the information you will need.

Oh! McCain is the only Republican in the Keating 5?? Well, theres a great unifier, one who can work across party lines very effectively . Well, I thought that was one of the major +points given for Barack in the beginning. So seems McCain wins there

And it seems because Bush had connections with terrorists (I haven't looked it up, just picking up from what a few people have posted here) its OK for Barack to have a few of his own

And I thought it was all about "Change"

Only wish that we don't need credit to finance a house, but, capitalism doesn't work like that. We need to pay interests. Geezes. The bank borrow money from the central bank. The borrowee pays a fee known as the prime to the central bank, then they add additional interest for their own as well to the consumers.

I rather buy the US Treasury Bills, Notes, Bonds at a discount than to use credit. Heck the US Treasury is auctioning the 10,000 bond for $9000 at 6 months maturity. Once it's matured, I would've earned another $1000. Should've gotten that one.

Edit: It's not 9000, it's 9900. But still, it's still alot of money.

$9,900 paid today to get $10,000 in 6 months = 2.0202% p.a. Hardly exciting when 6-month CD rates with any FDIC insured bank as of 04/1/2008 range from 2.47%p.a. to 4.07%p.a. And the minimum required investment ranges from $500 to $10,000.

SOURCE: Bankrate.com

I don't understand, a bachelors in systems engineering didn't land him a job? Did he graduated from an ABET school? I'm not criticizing, I'm curious why noone wanted to hire him. You don't need to give me an answer if you want to. It's just weird for me to understand.

I'm surprised that employers are hiring without regards to educational experience. A+ certification is basics knowledge of repair and computer components which is a low level skill compared to engineering. I'm an electrical and computer engineer, so, to me it sounds not right that they're hiring low level skill workers.

Make sure your husband take the FE, and PE exams if not taken already. It's up to you if you want to hear my comments.

I agree with what your saying.. although I'm hardly an engineer, my stuff from back home didn't appear to mean a thing over here to employers which I why I went down the quick and easy certification path.. Give em what they understand and recognize and use it to shed some light on your stuff from back home.

Also with the economy going bad, more people are going to put off buying new advanced systems and rather have their existing ones upgraded. There should be more demand for that type of work. Also, don't lose sight of the fact that polishing his English skills will matter too. And he can do some courses thru' a community college when he gets here, there are some co-op work programs there, where he can get exposure to real life cases and get some references in the process too.

Good Luck!

I am very sorry to hear about your case. I was under AP for more than a year. Anyway, it seems they had transferred out the thugs who used to man the Mumbai Consulate after 2006 and now it seems they transferred them to Chennai. One only has to do some research and will know what I am talking. The scene you described was a usual thing at Mumbai, especially for inter-racial couples (1999-2005). Also, the Indian counterpart at the consulate does not necessarily understand all the cultures and many times is very bigoted towards Indians of other caste and language. I could virtually see the hate in the eyes on the Indian employee.

Also, I have to admit that those who commit fraud, do use the K1 route even when they are married, simply because its the quickest and I know atleast a dozen. When I did not know anything about the process, I didn't think twice about it. But when I started my process, I wondered, "Gosh, how did XYZ who married the American desi got her visa and moved to the US in 3 months???" When I inquired with some they told me, "stupid, we did the K1 and planned it the moment the marriage got arranged". Alas, I have never heard of any of those fraudsters getting denied.

Anyway, I think the plan which you have come up with is the best according to me. Contesting the denial, involving congressmen/women, lawyers will be very lengthy and expensive. Getting married and then filing for an K3/CR1 and documenting everything, writing a letter to the Consular Chief before the second interview explaining the situation and attending the interview yourself too, should make it work. We have a person here, who was denied for K1 or K3, I can't remember, who refiled and requested for a interview with another consulate and got the visa next time and it was only a few months.

Good Luck, stay strong!!

Seriously, I can decide what we have here. Either

or

Take your pick.

Typical angry response, trying to garner a laugh and an excellent example of antagonism for which I have been warned and berated for all the time. But approved of because it comes from the ilk of one of the team.

Seems all those Obama fanatics who condem HRC for wanting to sit the Michigan and Florida delegates because she "promised and agreed" not to before, have the air taken out of their bubbleheads

I'll give you some time to try and figure it out.

Oh Yeah! Well, since you have already figured it out, guess its time for you to go back to your koolaid. Good Luck

Yes infrahumanisation is always a good way to repond when you can't.

Seems you have learned a new word, good for you. As for a case, what case did you ever have? Hate!! Well, that seems to be selling well here.

Alright, so you ain't got nuthin'. Thanks for confirming.

"ain't got nuthin'" Oh Yeah!!

Seems all those Obama fanatics who condem HRC for wanting to sit the Michigan and Florida delegates because she "promised and agreed" not to before, have the air taken out of their bubbleheads

I'll give you some time to try and figure it out.

Oh Yeah! Well, since you have already figured it out, guess its time for you to go back to your koolaid. Good Luck

Yes infrahumanisation is always a good way to repond when you can't.

Seems you have learned a new word, good for you. As for a case, what case did you ever have? Hate!! Well, that seems to be selling well here.

Seems all those Obama fanatics who condem HRC for wanting to sit the Michigan and Florida delegates because she "promised and agreed" not to before, have the air taken out of their bubbleheads

I'll give you some time to try and figure it out.

Oh Yeah! Well, since you have already figured it out, guess its time for you to go back to your koolaid. Good Luck

I guess the point is - there's no mechanism or means to tell. Has to be some sort of accountability.

There is this: http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.asp

But that doesn't really answer the point that Gary brought up.

I mean... here's the donation page. The only "protection" there is a brief web disclaimer. All it does is provide a means for plausible deniability if there's a problem.

Clearly the candidates totally underestimated the internet as a funding source - but surely if the vast majority of your donations come from these sources that has to be subject to some sort of accounting oversight.

Do you think a web disclaimer is sufficient protection to receiving, say, the proceeds of money laundering?

I look at other forms of donations as a way of seeing the potential abuse on the internet. Rememeber Norman Hsu? There were entire families living on minimum wage donating the maximum each and bundled by Hsu. If someone wants to get around the law it can be done. On the internet you can do it without getting your hands dirty. Now I am not accusing Obama of anything. He may think all his donations are legal. But it doesn't take to much of a immagination to see that someone can find a way of getting around the limits.

So what are we saying here: McCain's a bit scared of not being able to keep up with the fund raising?

We are saying that both made a promise and Barak is breaking it.

McCain knows that he can't outraise Obama. That's a good bit of motivation for him to push the issue.

What about keeping a promise? I guess that isn't an issue for you then. I guess it wouldn't be an issue if he continued to not keep promises once elected either.

Good Point Gary!! Seems all those Obama fanatics who condem HRC for wanting to sit the Michigan and Florida delegates because she "promised and agreed" not to before, have the air taken out of their bubbleheads

I have a degree in Pscyhology but was taking a different route..I was a pre-school teacher for 4 years but now that I am in the US and culture and child upbringing are totally different I'm thinking to go back to school and shift into nursing as soon as I would have my EAD/GC on hand.

I guess I changed careers a few times in the broad sense of the phrase but my work was always restricted to dealing with "other people's money" punter at a stock broking firm, account manager at a financial instituion, investment advisor/financial planner at a Mutual Fund, consultant at an accounting firm .... In the US; Tax Consultant and now Financial Systems Analyst with the State Government. Had aspired to be an ERP Consultant for a long time but never got to do the change over. But now what I am doing is I guess, the closest I can get to being an ERP Consultant.

Good information Charuhans, we are getting ready to move to the US, and we need to find a good accountant with knowledge of such things... Any ideas? We will be in the Detroit area in the beginning, not sure where we will end up after the job search is over, but we want to sort out financial information as fast as possible!

Congrats! on your successful visa process and best wishes for your new life in the US. Unfortunately, I don't know any accountants, good or bad around the Detroit area since I have always been in Oregon since I moved to the US in May 06. The only reason, I know a bit about taxes is because I studied, took an exam and got licensed as a Tax Consultant (required in Oregon for tax practitioners) and then worked for a Tax Consultancy firm. Around last Christmas, I also passed the exams required to be an IRS Enrolled Agent (courtesy my ex-employer who paid for the exams) where I had to study Federal Taxation in depth. But now, I work for the State Government.

If you have any specific questions about your finances, tax situation etc. you can always PM me and I will try to help. Also, when you look for an accountant don't settle for just a CPA but see that he/she is also an IRS Enrolled Agent because you will have an foreign income/asset angle to your tax situation and unless the CPA firm specializes in those issues you may not get competent advise. And believe me, the IRS has gone to great lengths to complicate things.

Do you guys pay US taxes on account that you have left back home, or iNRE/NRI accounts from INDIA in particular?

Is your question, "do you" or "do you have to"? The first may differ from individual to individual (I do), the second, is "Yes" for everyone.

Also, if you have signing authority over any account which has/had a value of USD10,000/- or more anytime during the previous year with a financial institution (brokerage, mutual fund, hedge fund, CD etc.) outside the US, even if jointly with a non-USC, you have to file a form with the US Treasury (any local IRS office accepts the form on behalf of the US Treasury, or you can mail it). You can find the form and the instructions on the IRS website (irs.gov). The form no is TD F 90-22.1 - REPORT OF FOREIGN BANK AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS.

Many people whom I informed about this requirement shrugged it off (possibly underestimating the reach and intend of the IRS) and not knowing that India has signed the tax treaty with the US, which means the IRS/US Treasury has access to information from any financial institution registered and/or operating in India.

My first banking experience in the US was with WAMU. Excellent service, don't have a single instance about which I can complain in 2 years now. They opened a free checking account even when all the ID I had was my Indian Passport and also a savings account with no minimum. My first credit card was from WAMU, they offered me one after 6 months of banking with them, 6 months 0% APR, no annual fees. Again a very good experience, they review our credit record every 6 months and increase our limit.

Also they give me free Wire Transfer for sending money to India, gets there in 24 hours. Wonderful bank, good people.

In the Ohio debate, he raised eyebrows by saying he would renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, a blatant attempt to pander to Ohio voters of the protectionist persuasion.

Afterwards, one of his advisers tried to calm nervous Canadian officials, telling them Mr. Obama wasn't serious and that the statements were more political talk than serious policy. The sordid episode makes the Illinois senator look either amateurish or duplicitous -- or both.

Repeating this known untruth doesn't make it a fact. It only shows that Hillary's camp continues to sling mud as it seems to be all they have. Clap clap. Point point. How pathetic.

Untruth? Sling mud?

1. The memo (a concrete evidence) from the Canadian Consul who met with Goolsbee was leaked.

source

2. Obama campaign denied the story

3. then Obama said his campaign provided Canada no such reassurance while Goolsbee maintained that DeMora "misinterpreted" his comments.

4. then the Canadian Consulate issued a statement diplomatically finessing the issue.

5. now the Canadian government is investigating as to who leaqked the document.

6. As it now stands, its a "he says he says' between Goolsbie and the Canadian Consul General with the latter conceding that they may have misinterpreted the message while being profusely apolgetic (ok make that regretting) the brouhaha which they fear might give the impression that the Canadians are interfering in the US election.

You may see it as untruth I call that "caught red-handed'

Since it matters little to none what you call it, you can call it anything you want. At the end of the day, all there is is a memo written by a staffer of the Canadian Consulate in Chicago. There's nothing evidencing that what the Obama campaign has said is untrue or wrong. Nothing but a memo written by one staffer.

ETA: Just to illustrate this very simple point, when I attend meetings that are manually captured in minutes, the attendees whose verbal contributions during the meeting have been captured are afforded an opportunity to review the draft and submit changes / clarifications where needed before the minutes are finalized and distributed and serve as documentation. At the end of the day, until I sign off on what I am quoted to have said, the manually captured means nothing at all. That's common practice.

You're right. At the end of the day, what matters is that it mattered to those voters in Ohia and Texas and Rhode Island who picked Hillary as their choice for dem. nominee last Tuesday.

What matters is that this shows that smear and mud is all Hillary has to offer. Now, you and the likes of you might find that uplifting and worth celebrating. Me and those looking for substance and vision instead of smear and mud will deny her the support she'd to succeed W.

Yes, you have every right to assume away the smear and mud and the self-righteousness. 'Cause it's all in your "head" primed for two decades by the finest products from the Republican Dirt-Making Machine.

How ironic! B)

There's no convincing evidence to any of the allegations that camp Clinton has thrown at Obama. None. They played the race card and everything else in the arsenal. They're playing dirty. Always have been and always will be. If you can't see that, then you've got issues. But go on supporting the politics of the past if that's what you think the country needs.

Crying Race Card = A Scoundrel's Last Refuge!!

And who are Barack's donors? And are they all accounted for?

Barack and company is now displaying their yellow side, if they are so sure of all the 'support', what's the problem? Let Hillary make a fool of herself. As for saying that this is going to or already hurting the Democratic party, its just rubbish, especially coming from rabid Bush haters. Its the same as saying that if you oppose any kind of US military action (including Vietnam, Iraq) around the world, then thats damaging US interest and you are a traitor.

I know at least half a dozen people (and I am here less than 2 years), who said they never took much interest in any elections before, now want to vote for Obama ONLY because of his middle name.

I think it will be a long and hard battle for Nader even to get his name on the ballot in November. The Obama camp will try every trick in the book to stop him from running. And given the money and posse of advisors in its coffers, they might just succeed. The con game is running so well now they won't let anything/anyone spoil it.

The following article really sums it all up very well. I am sure all those here advocating Hamas know it very well too but then .... it doesn't cost anything to live in the comfort of the US or UK, sit in front of a PC with the heat turned on and back Hamas at the cost of the common people in Gaza.

Editorial

The enemy within

January 24, 2008

Last week, Israel closed border crossings into Gaza and blockaded some supplies of fuel and food, a response to rocket fire into Israel from the Palestinian territory. Electricity was reported to be in short supply in some places. Hospitals were warning of tragic consequences if power lapsed or medical supplies ran low. The Red Cross and UN issued warnings of a potential humanitarian crisis.

Israel eased the blockade on Tuesday. And on Wednesday, thousands of Palestinians flooded into Egypt after masked gunmen blasted huge holes in the border wall.

Sound familiar? It should. These kinds of flash points have been increasingly common since Hamas took control of Gaza. So have the warnings against the "collective punishment" of Gazans. And the potential solutions: There is talk, again, of an Israeli military incursion to stop the rockets that rain down on southern Israel from Gaza.

As always, Gazans look around, see how terrible conditions are, and point fingers. Many blame Israel. Or they blame the U.S. Or they blame Fatah, rival to Hamas.

If things are to improve in Gaza -- and we hope they do -- then that reflexive attitude is one of the first things that must change. Until most Gazans fix the blame for their miserable living conditions where it belongs -- on their elected leaders of Hamas -- Gaza will remain poised on the brink of crisis, sending rockets into Israel and then complaining bitterly when its foe retaliates.

This really isn't all that complicated. It's quiet for quiet. If the Palestinians stop lobbing rockets into Israel, there will be no retaliation.

This is not a matter of the "cycle of violence," as bedraggled a phrase as there is in the Middle East. Israel withdrew its settlers from Gaza in 2005. That was supposed to end the "provocation" of the settlements and stop the rocket fire. But it hasn't. There's also no doubt Hamas could stop the rockets. After Israel imposed its recent measures, for instance, five rockets were fired on Sunday, down from 53 in the prior two days, the Associated Press reported.

So why doesn't Hamas clamp down, to show it can effectively govern the territory? Unfortunately, the leaders of Hamas find it to their political and economic advantage to allow their people to suffer while they smuggle arms and money from Iran and elsewhere to continue the campaign of terror against Israel.

While Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas negotiates a peace deal with Israel, Hamas has pledged never to recognize the Jewish state. Hamas leaders have vowed not to abide by earlier agreements or renounce violence as a means to achieving their goals. With no prospect for negotiations, there's no prospect for reviving the economy and no prospect for improving people's lives. No wonder they'd rather fire rockets.

Who else benefits from this always-simmering crisis? One answer: Iran. Tehran gains influence as it builds up a terror ministate on Israel's border. Another answer: Syria, which hosts Hamas' headquarters and some of its top leaders. Increasing chaos in Gaza could play into Damascus' hopes for regaining sway over Lebanon.

Who suffers? That's easy: The people of Gaza. As long as Hamas is in power, Gaza will be driven further into misery, further from the path that would lead to an independent state. For Gazans, the real enemy is within.

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P.S.: Please don't waste time responding to this post with offensive language or four letter word abbreviations. Its so Hamas style.....

whatever!!! at the end ppl of both countries suffer and die not to mention the children as well..becoz of sadistic egotistical leaders!!!

Tell the sadistic egotistical leaders to stop launching rockets at Israeli hospitals and daycare centers.

can't tell a rabid dog not to bite.

What does one do with a rabid dog?

'Gen. Butt Naked' Confesses to Killings

By JONATHAN PAYE-LAYLEH,AP

Posted: 2008-01-21 10:05:41

Filed Under: World News

MONROVIA, Liberia (Jan. 21) -- One of Liberia's most notorious rebel commanders, known as Gen. Butt Naked, has returned to confess his role in terrorizing the nation, saying he is responsible for 20,000 deaths.

Joshua Milton Blahyi, who now lives in Ghana, returned this week to face his homeland's truth and reconciliation commission, this time wearing a suit and tie. His nom de guerre is derived from his platoon's practice of charging naked into battle, a technique meant to terrify the enemy.

Other warlords, though, have refused to ask forgiveness, dismissing a commission many in Liberia see as toothless. Blahyi is urging other former killers to come forward as the country founded by freed American slaves in 1847 struggles to recover from past horrors.

"I could be electrocuted. I could be hanged. I could be given any other punishment," the 37-year-old Blahyi said in a weekend interview following his truth commission appearance last week. "But I think forgiveness and reconciliation is the right way to go.

"I have been looking for an opportunity to tell the true story about my life — and every time I tell people my story, I feel relieved."

The civil war, which killed an estimated 250,000 people in this nation of 3 million, was characterized by the eating of human hearts and soccer matches played with human skulls. Drugged fighters waltzed into battle wearing women's wigs, flowing gowns and carrying dainty purses stolen from civilians.

Before he led his fighters into battle, wearing only a pair of lace-up boots, Blahyi said he made a human sacrifice to the devil.

The sacrifice was typically "the killing of an innocent child and plucking out the heart which was divided into pieces for us to eat," he told The Associated Press on Saturday. He appeared before the commission Jan. 15.

Between the time he made a pact with the devil circa 1980 and began his rampage and the time he stopped fighting in 1996, he said "more than 20,000 people fell victim (to me and my men). They were killed."

Some say Blahyi's confession is proof Liberia needs a war crimes court, not a commission.

The commission, modeled on post-apartheid South Africa's commission, has been taking testimony from victims as well as former rebels for the last two years, urging a full accounting of wartime atrocities. While the truth commission cannot charge killers with a crime, it can recommend charges be brought.

Meanwhile, several notorious killers have refashioned themselves as influential politicians in Liberia.

"If you have an individual admitting that he and his group killed over 20,000 people, certainly there should be a mechanism put in place for such people to face justice," Mulbah Morlue, who heads the Forum for the Establishment of a War Crimes Court in Liberia, said in response to Blahyi's confession.

Yet there are also those that praise Blahyi.

"You can't have true reconciliation without knowing the truth," said Johnny Lamine, a Monrovia resident. "Blahyi's story is alarming, but ... let's know who did what in Liberia during the war."

Others in a country where some feel everyone is tainted said they would rather not dig up the past. Because the violence was so widespread it's not uncommon to find Liberian families that have both victim and perpetrator under the same roof — a daughter that was raped and a son that took up a gun and went on to rape the daughters of other families.

"Liberians have tried to forget these stories," Mary Kollie said as she went home from church service Sunday.

In his interview, Blahyi told The Associated Press: "Some people see me and congratulate me. Others see me and say I should not be walking down the streets of Monrovia posing proud. But I continue to tell such people I am not proud, I am ashamed."

In 1996, while charging naked into a battle, Blahyi said God appeared and told him he was a slave to Satan, not the hero he considered himself to be, according to an earlier interview with The Associated Press.

He became a born-again Christian and for a while, traversed the war-wracked streets of Monrovia selling cassettes of his sermons.

Liberia's violence began in 1979 when security forces killed dozens of people during massive riots. The following year, President William Tolbert was ousted in a coup by Samuel K. Doe, an illiterate master sergeant, who ordered Tolbert's Cabinet members tied to poles on a beach and executed.

Rebels led by ex-rebel Charles Taylor invaded in 1989, plunging the country into another civil war. The war went into a momentary lull after 1997 when Taylor was elected president and again surged, ending only when Taylor was forced into exile in Nigeria in 2003. He is now facing charges of crimes against humanity at a tribunal in the Hague for atrocities committed by a rebel movement he allegedly supported in neighboring Sierra Leone.

While Taylor faces trial for crimes committed in another country, one of his former rivals in Liberia, Prince Johnson, is now a senator who last year accompanied a group of U.S. politicians as they toured the country. Johnson videotaped his men torturing and then killing Doe. That videotape is still widely available in street side stalls here.

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Associated Press writer Rukmini Callimachi contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.