US: Liberian War Criminal Held on Immigration Charges

U.S. federal prosecutors have charged a Liberian immigrant living in suburban Philadelphia of lying about his past to enter the United States.

Officials said Wednesday that Mohammed Jabbateh, known as "Jungle Jabbah," has been charged with concealing his past as a commander of a rebel group during Liberia's first civil war.

The indictment says Jabbateh committed or ordered others to commit war crimes including the murder of civilians, sexual enslavement of women, conscription of child soldiers, rape, torture and corpse abuse.

Officials say Jabbateh lied when applying for political asylum in 1998 and legal residency four years later.

Jabbateh's bail hearing is set for Monday.