Liberia ex-warlord known for gruesome acts cleared for 2011 presidential bid

One of Liberia's most infamous warlords on Wednesday launched his presidential campaign, a race sure to be overshadowed by his reputation for gruesome acts and a government commission's quest to try him for crimes against humanity.

The National Elections Commission said that Prince Johnson's party, the National Union for Democratic Progress, met the constitutional requirements to compete in next year's poll in the West African nation.

Liberia is still tending its wounds after a civil war that had ravaged the country, turned children into cold-blooded killers and was marked by cannibalism. The war ended only seven years ago....