US DOS: From State of Denial to State of Delusion on Nigeria’s Imminent Religious War

How the State Department distorts reality and recreates truth in its own image in far more ominous extrapolations of the Wizard of Oz in US foreign policy.

Assistant Secretary for African Affairs:

I think the success of the Nigerian elections are primarily of importance to the Nigerian people, but they also send a very strong signal across Africa. Nigeria is one of the two most important countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also the most populous country in Africa with 150 million people. It’s also the second largest Muslim country in Africa after Egypt. 

QUESTION: Might you be soft-pedaling the violence a little bit? I’m reading some wire material today about perhaps 500 people killed and Christian churches set afire... Might you be looking through rose-colored glasses at this sort of thing?

Assistant Secretary Carson: Absolutely not. But let me first say we deplore the violence that occurred particularly after the conclusion of the presidential elections a week and a half ago. – April 28, 2011

“The April 2011 general elections in Nigeria were the most successful since its return to multiparty democracy in 1999… But, the elections were not perfect – post-election riots in several northern cities left hundreds dead, and work remains to be done to ensure more peaceful and improved votes in the future.

“Security issues remain a central concern in Nigeria. A loosely organized group known as Boko Haram has carried out attacks on Nigerian and international interests, and attempts to exploit the legitimate grievances of northern populations to garner recruits and public sympathy.”

“Boko Haram is not monolithic or homogenous and is composed of several groups that remain primarily focused on discrediting the Nigerian government. As Boko Haram is focused primarily on local Nigerian issues and actors, they respond principally to political and security developments within Nigeria.”

• The Nigerian government must effectively engage communities vulnerable to extremist violence by addressing the underlying political and socio-economic problems in the North.

• The government must also promote respect for human rights by its security forces, whose heavy handed tactics and extrajudicial killings reinforce the belief that Abuja is insensitive to the concerns of the North.

• The appointment of credible northerners to lead the government response to northern grievances would be an important and tangible step toward reversing that perception.

“It is important to note that religion is not the primary driver behind extremist violence in Nigeria.”

- Testimony by Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of StateSenate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on African Affairs March 29, 2012

Nigeria has a 50/50 Muslim/ Christian split Only one dozen of 36 states introduced Islamic law in violation of the constitution. Each one of the 12 states has oppressed minority Christian populations.

Conclusion: US’ top diplomat on Africa was wrong - Nigeria is not a “Muslim country.”He is more concerned by improving the “vote” than the hundreds of Christians killedHe is more concerned about appeasing the aggressors and unconcerned with the victims

We are ready to train your people in weapons, and give you whatever support we can in men, arms and munitions to enable you to defend our people in Nigeria. You are not alone in this test. The hearts of Mujahideen are in pain over your troubles and desire to help you as much as possible, in the Islamic Maghreb, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya

- statement by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), February 2010

• Is the US advocating on behalf of an unjust power domination arrangement entered into by the British?

• Is the US against the democratic aspirations of the people who have clamored for freedom for years?

• Is US supporting the dominators over the dominated? Is the US ignoring the victims and cuddling the victimizer?

• As US democratized Iraq leading to the erosion of the Christian population so is US policy on Nigeria likely to condone the extinction of Christianity in northern Nigeria

• This is a repeat of what the Brits did in subjugating Christians to Islamic domination

• 400 houses plus $40 million project

Britain did not conquer the Caliphate but agreed to an alliance with them

The minorities were not conquered by the Caliphate but were bundled under them

Britain did not technically grant independence but merely ceded power to a neocolonial surrogate – the caliphate/north

In 1999 Nigeria did not technically get genuine democracy. The north merely ceded power temporarily to a southern “trustee.”

Nigeria’s Arab Spring was in Jan 2010 and in 2011 the “Muslim brotherhood” did not win

Former US ambassador to Nigeria:

“The elections have polarized Nigeria and resulted in likely underreported bloodshed in the northern parts of the country… the North’s perceived marginalization from national politics could potentially radicalize an Islamic population that already views the United States as a partisan supporter of southern Christian president Goodluck Jonathan…”

- Op ed International Herald Tribune, May 2, 2011

The following are random samples of causes of religious violence in Nigeria:

A. Miss World Beauty Pageant B. Classroom test C. Danish Cartoons D. Lunar eclipse E. 911 attacks in US F. The Palestinian IntifadaAmbassador Campbell was wrong. Earth to

Campbell: The north has been radicalized against the US and the west before now. And the north has marginalized the rest of Nigeria for long.

The position of the U.S. government consistently has been that the conflicts in Nigeria are not predominantly sectarian in nature. This position is problematic, given Nigeria‘s religious, social, and political framework, the sectarian nature of the April 2011 post-election violence, and the rise of Boko Haram. This stance also is in stark contrast to the perspectives of a number of prominent Nigerian Christian leaders, who believe that Boko Haram has a significant sectarian dimension to it, and in particular, seeks to eradicate Christian communities in central and northern Nigeria. This chasm in perspective is a serious concern.

Understanding this perspective, addressing religious tension, and recognizing the religious dynamics of the various political, social, and ethnic conflicts is important to engaging effectively with Nigeria.

- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), 2012 Annual Report

Street

State Sect

The three Concentric Layers of Persecution

Islam

In 2001 after 911 there were attacks in Nigeria too. Also on 911 2011. OBL’s driver was in Nigeria – 1st WTC bomb trial court records in NY ABC news reported that a global terror financier lives in Jos OBL t-shirts & posters abound in the north OBL called for overthrow of government in Nigeria 13 containers of arms from Iran shipped into Nigeria illegally confiscated in 2010

Is it better to over-estimate a security threat or to underestimate?

USAID gives money to 2 Muslim states to support Quranic madrasas. Should we throw more money?

Is there method to the madness – is the DOS engaging in strategic disinformation while silently working on counter terror?

If missionaries are pulling out of Plateau which has the longest US ties than any northern state, does it make sense for US to open a consulate in the state with the longest history of hostility to the West?

The imposition of Islamic Sharia on Nigeria The abolition of Democracy The elimination of Christians in the north The removal of the government or “the reason for this act is none other

than that our creator has commanded us to war against any person that refused to accept or acknowledge Islam after we have invited him to the faith.” – Abu Shekau (Boko Haram)