US Denies Blocking FG’s Purchase Of War Aircraft

The United States embassy in Nigeria has faulted a story of its purported blocking of the sale of CH-47 Chinook transport aircraft by the state of Israel to Nigeria.
Responding to the story published by ThisDay newspaper, that the US had prevented Israel from selling the cargo helicopters to Nigeria, the embassy’s press attaché, Sean J. McIntosh, said his country had a good diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.
“The United States remains committed to helping the government of Nigeria address the threat posed by the terrorist organisation Boko Haram. We continue to support Nigerian efforts to bring about the safe recovery of the abductees and to advise the government of Nigeria on its response,” he said.
He further added that, “We are advising on issues of survivor support, humanitarian assistance, criminal investigations, intelligence and strategic communications.”
He, however, declined to give any assurance of a mutual complement of arms purchase policy that is not in conformity with that of his country and its interests.
“U.S. Departments of State and Defense review all potential arms transfers for their consistency with US policy and interests, as detailed in the US Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, updated by President Obama in January. This includes any requests for one country to transfer US-origin defence items to another country,” McIntosh said, emphasising that he could not comment on any specific application of the policy.
Meanwhile, Mukhtar Dan’Iyan, the editor-in-chief of the 15Past8 Media Group based in New York City, who is also an expert on Africa and Middle East policy and security gave his opinion on the matter in a tweet he posted.
Dan’Iyan wrote, “Israel does not use CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, so selling surplus (or any stock) to Nigeria or any other nation is not even a possibility. The story about USA blocking the sale of non-existent equipment from Israel is therefore non-sequitur.
“Incidentally, Israel uses the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion as its heavy transport helicopter, and Boeing would do anything to get that business for its Chinook,” he wrote.
Boko Haram killed 13,000 Nigerians in 5 years – Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan has in New York, United Statesthat the Boko Haram sect has killed about 13,000 persons in Nigeria since 2005.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting on the Threat of Terrorism to Global Peace and Security yesterday , Jonathan, who urged the international community to act immediately to stop the troubling new phenomenon of terrorists and foreign fighters attacking and trying to hold parts of sovereign nations, stated that there was the need to support countries like Nigeria which are in the frontline of the war against terrorism.
Informing the UN Security Council that his administration has continued relentlessly to confront the menace of terrorism with unrelenting determination, Jonathan said the federal government has also evolved initiatives to alleviate the plight of people in affected communities.
He said, “Nigeria knows too well the destructive effects of terrorist activities. Over the past five years, we have been, and are still confronting threats posed by Boko Haram to peace and stability predominantly in the North Eastern part of our country.
“The costs are high: over 13,000 people have been killed, whole communities razed, and hundreds of persons kidnapped, the most prominent being our innocent daughters from Chibok Secondary School, in North East Nigeria.
As daunting as the challenge may be, we have faced it with unrelenting determination, mobilising all the resources at our disposal to ensure that the scourge of terrorism is rooted out of our nation.
“In addition to our counterterrorism efforts, we have evolved initiatives to alleviate the plight of the population in the affected communities. These include a holistic effort through the Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) which is aimed at providing immediate relief and fast tracking the infrastructural re-development of the region. It also has as a core goal, an integrated effort at achieving the de-radicalisation of potential terrorist recruits.
“We have also launched a Victims Support Fund which has already raised about $500million of the expected minimum of $1billion in direct support of the victims of acts of terrorism. This is in addition to the. Safe Schools Initiative championed by Mr. Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister and currently the UN Special Envoy for Global Education which is being rigorously supported by Nigeria’s Federal Government”.
Jonathan further urged the international community must also do more to support countries like Nigeria which are in the frontline of the war against terrorism.
He said, “There is no doubt that foreign fighters have added a troubling dimension to this emerging phase of terrorism. From targeted attacks by Al Qaeda a few years ago, we now have mobile bands of thousands of terrorists sweeping across vast areas, destroying lives, and even attempting to hold territory. This is unacceptable; we must act now.
“We must capitalize on the commitment and evident determination of the Security Council to seek more innovative responses to the threat of terrorism and in particular to the growing menace of foreign fighters. The Council should be concerned about the existence of sources of arming and funding terrorists. Evidence has shown that Boko Haram, for instance, is resourced largely from outside our country.
“We must also commit to ensuring that countries which are in the frontline of this challenge, receive adequate support from the international community.
Only by united action and firm resolve can we check this raging threat to humanity, and also build the enduring structures that will resist their re-emergence”.
Reject cancer of violent extremism, Obama tells the world
…Denounces ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram
United States president, Barack Obama has called on the world to join him in the effort to degrade and ultimately destroy militants terrorising the world.
Addressing the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York, Obama highlighted efforts being made to build an international coalition to combat ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorists, who are taking some parts of the countries affected by their activities.
According to Obama, the militants were terrorising people in Iraq and Syria, gunning down innocent children and subjecting mothers, sisters and daughters To Molest as a weapon of war.
“Bodies have been dumped in mass graves. Religious minorities have been starved to death. In the most horrific crimes imaginable, innocent human beings have been beheaded, with videos of the atrocity distributed to shock the conscience of the world.
“In this effort, we do not act alone. Nor do we intend to send US troops to occupy foreign lands. We will train and equip forces fighting against these terrorists on the ground. We will work to cut off their financing and to stop the flow of fighters into and out of the region.
“The ideology of ISIS or Al-Qaeda or Boko Haram will wilt and die if it is consistently exposed, confronted and refuted in the light of day,” Obama said.
He cited as an example a new Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies and Sheikh binBayyah, who described its purpose: “We must declare war on war, so the outcome will be peace upon peace. Look at the young British Muslims who responded to terrorist propaganda by starting the hash tag #NotInMyName campaign, declaring ‘ISIS is hiding behind a false Islam’.
“Look at the Christian and Muslim leaders who came together in the Central African Republic to reject violence. Listen to the Imam who said, ‘Politics tries to divide the religious in our country, but religion shouldn’t be a cause of hate, war, or strife’.”
President Obama urged the world – especially Muslim communities – to explicitly, forcefully and consistently reject the ideology of Al-Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram.
“It is the task of all great religions to accommodate devout faith with a modern, multicultural world. No children, anywhere, should be educated to hate other people. There should be no more tolerance of so-called clerics who call upon people to harm innocents because they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim.
“It is time for a new compact among the civilised peoples of this world to eradicate war at its most fundamental source: the corruption of young minds by violent ideology. It’s time to end the hypocrisy of those who accumulate wealth through the global economy and then siphon funds to those who teach children to tear it down,” he said.
Contesting the space that terrorists occupy, including the Internet and social media, he said, “Their propaganda has coerced young people to travel abroad to fight their wars and turned students into suicide bombers. We must offer an alternative vision.
“All religions have been attacked by extremists from within at some point, and all people of faith have a responsibility to lift up the value at the heart of all religion: do unto thy neighbour as you would have done unto you,” Obama said.
We’ve killed Shekau’s impostor - DHQ
Nigerian troops used both land and air forces to stop Boko Haram insurgents from getting into Konduga in their bid to capture Maiduguri. Members of the sect are subsequently reported to be surrendering in droves, after the killing of their purported leader.
There was a fierce battle between the troops and insurgents last week, but the military prevailed. One Mohammed Bashir, who had been posing in videos put out by the sect as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, leader of the sect, was killed during the onslaught by the army.
Addressing journalists at the Defence Headquarters yesterday, its director of information, Major General Chris Olukolade, made this known. He showed video footage and photographs of the dead insurgents and those who had surrendered to the army.
“Nigerian troops have been conducting coordinated air and land operations in furtherance of efforts at containing the terrorists in the North East part of the country. Somehow, it became apparent that the terrorists in continuation of their campaign of terror were determined to take over communities around Maiduguri, which is their prime target.
“There was therefore the need to ensure that communities such as Konduga were protected. It is noteworthy that the terrorists made no less than four attempts between 12 and 17 September 2014 to violate the security and enter Konduga to perpetrate their atrocities. Air and land forces were subsequently deployed to handle the situation.
“The convoy of combat vehicles typical of terrorist missions that involve their top commanders was fiercely engaged by the land and air forces. Several of the terrorists, including some of their commanders lost their lives in the encounters, which lasted an average of about five hours each.
“The troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment. In the course of those encounters, one Mohammed Bashir, who has been acting or posing in videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group, died,” Olukolade said.
He further said, “Since the name Shekau has become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, the Nigerian military remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title, as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria.”
Olukolade said that it was the residents of the community who were victims of the insurgents’ activities that corroborated information on the identity of Bashir Mohammed alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam, alias Damasack, etc.
“The recent devastation on the leadership of the insurgents is attributable to the renewed commitment to the mission of eradicating terrorism in our country,” Olukolade said.
According to him, a total of 135 terrorists had as at Tuesday evening surrendered to troops, along with equipment, in the Biu local government area. A group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun–Yadi, while another group of 45 insurgents were taken around Mubi–Michika.
He said, “They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.”
Jonathan To UN: We’re doing our best to rescue Chibok girls
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday in New York told the United Nations (UN) that the federal government was still doing everything possible to rescue the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno State as well as curb the gory and cruel activities of the Boko Haram sect.
Delivering Nigeria’s annual speech to the 69th United Nations General Assembly, Jonathan, who also urged the United Nations to urgently review its peacekeeping operations across the world, said pressing challenges to global peace and security had made it imperative that urgent action be taken on the reformation of United Nations Security Council.
Speaking on the Chibok girls, Jonathan said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the countries and organizations that expressed solidarity with us, and have continued to support our determined efforts to free our daughters. Although it has been over three months since they were abducted, we have never relented in our efforts to set them safely free.
“Together with our partners, we are working assiduously to free our daughters and reunite them with their families. Let me underline today, that we shall not waiver until we end this mindless war on the innocent, and bring all the perpetrators to justice. We will triumph over terrorism”.
Asking the global body to urgently review its peacekeeping operations across the world, Jonathan said, “Mr. President, the failure of unanimity of action by the Security Council over pressing challenges to global peace and security, in Syria, Iraq, the conflict in Ukraine, and the renewed aggression between Israel and Palestine, have strengthened the case for the reform of the Security Council.
“Today’s challenges can only be resolved by a Security Council whose working methods engender transparency, inclusivity, and common ownership through equitable representation of all regions in the decision making process of the Council. It is imperative that we take advantage of 2015, which also marks the 50th Anniversary of the 1965 reform, to make concrete progress on the reform of the Council.
“We call for a fast-tracked process, in line with the initiative of His Excellency John Ashe, President of the 68th General Assembly, for establishing a working Group on reform. Indeed, the Security Council requires the collective resolve of all member states to ensure that 2015 brings decisive progress”. The Nigerian president lamented that, the UN was established about 70 years ago to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, it was sad that the world continues to experience conflict and human suffering.
He said, “Today’s terrorism is vicious and aimless. Its consequences are extremely agonizing, marked by a tendency to annihilate victims, and completely destroy infrastructure and properties. The involvement of foreign fighters has remained a common feature of terrorist groups – whether Al Qaeda in the Maghreb, Al Shaabab in Somalia, Boko Haram in Nigeria, or the newly emerging Islamic State (I.S).
“The new dimension introduced by I.S. to conquer territory and establish its destructive ideology, is a major challenge that must be collectively halted before it becomes the norm. This refocuses attention on the need to review present tools for United Nations peacekeeping operations”.
On to the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus disease in West Africa, Jonathan who confidently assured the United Nations that Nigeria was now free of the disease, noted however that the world must act in unison to stop the disease from becoming a global disaster.
He said, “While Nigeria was able to respond effectively to control the spread of the disease, the situation in Liberia and Sierra Leone requires sustainable, collective global action to contain. Through the concerted efforts of our healthcare professionals, the World Health Organisation and our international partners, we have been able to contain the EVD and we can confidently say that Nigeria is today, Ebola-free.
“We have however continued to support efforts at containing the spread of the disease in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It is pertinent to stress the need for the international community to properly appreciate the enormity of the EVD challenge.
“Indulging in isolationist and discriminatory tendencies will only worsen an already critical situation. To prevent the disease from becoming a global catastrophe, the UN must accord it the concerted effort it deserves,” the President said.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s belief in the indispensable role of the UN in the global bid to overcome the challenges of conflict, terrorism, climate change and economic development, even as he said, “We have been, and will remain a reliable and active partner, especially as we collectively work to resolve the new and emerging threats to global peace and security