U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN SAID WEDNESDAY HE WAS 'RELIEVED' BY NEWS THAT FORMER LIBERIAN PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR WAS RECAPTURED BY NIGERIAN FORCES AFTER HE TRIED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY. 'I THINK HIS CAPTURE AND BEING PUT ON TRIAL DOES NOT ONLY CLOSE A CHAPTER, BUT IT ALSO SENDS A POWERFUL MESSAGE TO THE REGION THAT IMPUNITY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND, AND WOULD-BE WARLORDS WILL PAY A PRICE,' ANNAN TOLD REPORTERS. TAYLOR WAS TRANSPORTED TO FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE WEDNESDAY EVENING BY U.N. HELICOPTER AND IS NOW IN THE CUSTODY OF THE SPECIAL COURT FOR SIERRA LEONE, U.N. DEPUTY SPOKESWOMAN MARIE OKABE SAID. ANNAN SAID THAT HE SPOKE TUESDAY NIGHT WITH NIGERIAN PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO WHO WAS IN WASHINGTON BEFORE MEETING WITH PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH ON WEDNESDAY. 'HE ASSURED ME HOW SURPRISED HE HIMSELF WAS, AND HAD TAKEN EVERY MEASURE TO ENSURE THAT THEY SEARCH FOR HIM AND HAD ALSO PUT UNDER ARREST THE GUARDS WHO WERE WATCHING TAYLOR,' HE SAID.
