Eight years ago our moral authority on human rights would be unquestionable... who here eight years ago would have believed that could change so far so fast?

Taylor Jr. to stand trial on charges of torture abroad

Defense attorney John Wylie told prospective jurors they can expect to hear "allegations of burning people with clothes irons; allegations of shocking genitals with electrical charges; allegations of cutting genitals; allegations of forcing people to sodomize each other; allegations of cutting off people's heads and displaying the heads."

But, Wylie said, "Mr. Emmanuel pleads not guilty to all of these charges." He said the government has little physical evidence, such as DNA, to back up its allegations.

The indictment alleges that under his father's presidency, Taylor Jr. became the leader of the Anti-Terrorist Unit and the Liberian National Police. Both groups are accused of abducting, torturing and killing people. Court documents say people were brought to the presidential compound, where the acts occurred.

As part of jury selection, Prosecutor Karen Rochlin questioned prospective jurors about their opinions of the allegations of torture occurring at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"Is it OK for the U.S. to investigate torture overseas, if parts of the U.S. government, according to reports, have not behaved so well?" she asked.