Warlord Charles Taylor in the Hot Seat in The Hague

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor took the stand today in The Hague and vehemently defended himself against charges of ordering rape, mutilation and amputation, calling the charges against him "a diabolical lie."

In this image made from television broadcast Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by the International Criminal...

In this image made from television broadcast Tuesday, July 14, 2009 by the International Criminal Court, former Liberian President Charles Taylor, address the U.N. backed Special Court for Sierra Leone. Wearing a gray double-breasted suit and dark glasses, Taylor spoke confidently as he introduced himself to the three-judge panel as the 21st president of the Republic of Liberia. It was his first time on the witness stand. Taylor is charged with 11 counts of murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery, using child soldiers and spreading terror during Sierra Leone's 1991-2002 civil war. He is the first African leader to stand trial for war crimes.

(ICC, via AP Photo)

Taylor said there was no "indiscriminate killing of people on his watch" and that his "revolution" was to bring stability to Liberia.

Prosecutors have accused Taylor, who served as Liberia's president from 1997 to 2003, of ordering his subordinates to murder and mutilate civilians, cut off their limbs, use women and girls as sex slaves, abduct adults and children, and force them to perform labor or become fighters to further his economic and political ambitions in the region.

"I will be the first to admit that bad things did happen in Liberia," the former warlord said. "When we launched this revolution...some individuals engaged in these actions for their own purposes, but what is very clear is when we found out that these atrocities had been committed we acted," he said.

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Lead Prosecutor Stephen Rapp said his team is pleased that Taylor is finally in the box: "This is Mr. Taylor's chance to try and discount the evidence of the 91 Prosecution witnesses who testified against him. When he finishes, we'll be ready for cross-examination."

Taylor's lead Counsel Courtenay Griffiths today said the prosecution's case was "riddled with hypocrisy and untruth," and added that there is a "deeply ingrained popular prejudice…based on lies" against his client. Griffiths told judges that Taylor's testimony will likely last for several weeks.

Earlier this year he moved for the judges to throw out the case against the accused warlord.

In May judges denied the defense's motion for acquittal "in its entirety," saying that there is enough evidence that Taylor was directly involved in the atrocities carried out against civilians during Sierra Leone's brutal civil war to continue the trial.

Taylor, who served as Liberia's president from 1997 to 2003, is charged by the Special Court for Sierra Leone with 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Sierra Leone during the country's roughly 10-year conflict that officially ended in 2002.

The judges held that "during the campaign to terrorize the civilian population civilians were killed, raped, forced into sexual slavery, subjected to physical violence including amputations and mutilation, and were abducted and forced to labor" and "that children participated actively."