Nigerian Military Alone Can’t Beat Islamists –US

United  States of
America, has offered to assist Nigeria in the fight against Islamist
insurgency, saying that military might alone cannot solve the problem.

America’s position was made known yesterday when President
Goodluck Jonathan held a closed –door meeting with visiting US Secretary of
State, Mrs Hillary Clinton, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Our correspondent
reports that Clinton, who was accompanied by officials of the United
States Embassy in Nigeria and some diplomats, also had another meeting with
security chiefs.

They include all the service chiefs, the National Security
Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki and the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji
Muhammad Abubakar.

It was gathered that security issues in Nigeria and other African
countries were discussed during the more than two and half hours meeting
between Clinton and the security chiefs

United States Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, sources
said, offered assistance in helping the country stop a worsening Islamist insurgency.

“Clinton will be renewing our offers of assistance and help
to the Nigerians,” a senior State Department official said.

“This is a problem for Nigeria, but also, northern Nigeria
borders Cameroon, it borders Niger. We are concerned that this kind of radical
network could undermine the security of neighbouring states.”

The US offer of assistance is to include helping to develop
Nigeria’s investigative procedures, including forensics, according to the
official.

“We can help them develop mechanisms for tracking and
determining individuals who are likely to be engaged in supporting Boko Haram
actively,” the official said.

Washington would also be willing to help Nigeria develop an
intelligence coordination centre that would assist the country in integrating
information, the official said.

“Northern Nigeria also borders Chad, it borders Cameroon, it
borders Niger and we are concerned this radicalism could undermine the security
of neighbouring states,” the senior US official said.

Military crackdowns have had mixed results – reducing Boko
Haram’s capabilities in some areas but generating anger because of their manner
of  operation.

“Washington offered Nigeria help with things like forensics,
tracking of suspects and “fusing” disparate strands of police and military
intelligence”, the US official said.

“We know all too well from our own experiences in both Iraq
and Afghanistan what can happen if soldiers and police are not operating under
appropriate authorities.”

“We will encourage them not to use excessive force and to
look at this as a … law enforcement operation designed to catch perpetrators
and bring them to justice,” he added.

Clinton also discussed the Petroleum Industry Bill that has
been stuck in parliament for more than five years leaving majors like Exxon and
Chevron uncertain about the regulatory future in Africa’s biggest crude
producer.

The official said Clinton urged a “fair and predictable
environment” for oil companies in the Petroleum Industry Bill.

“If a bill comes out which appears to undermine the interest
of companies, they won’t invest,” the official said.

Clinton spent several hours in the Nigerian capital, Abuja
before travelling to Ghana for the funeral of late President John Atta-Mills,
who died on July 24.

She has been on an African tour since July 31, having
already visited Senegal, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Malawi and South Africa.
She is also expected to briefly visit Benin Republic.